The mosquito control contractor hired by Cumberland County completed countywide truck spraying Wednesday. Favorable weather allowed the contractor to push the schedule up a day and spraying was conducted Sunday through Wednesday during the evening and early morning hours in all areas of the county except on the Fort Bragg military reservation and the corporate limits of Hope Mills, where the town conducted its own spraying.
The contract for the ground spraying cost approximately $89,000. This completes the first phase of mosquito abatement following the increased population of mosquitoes that resulted from flooding caused by Hurricane Florence.
The next phase is to pursue aerial spraying to better combat the mosquitoes.
“We were not under the illusion that this would totally address the situation, but we saw it as a preliminary effort that could occur very quickly given procedural contract requirements and it would offer some form of widespread relief,” said Assistant County Manager Duane Holder, the interim Public Health Director.
Gov. Roy Cooper ordered $4 million in state funding be allocated for mosquito control efforts in the counties currently under a major disaster declaration, including Cumberland County. Cumberland County’s share is estimated to be approximately $269,000. The state funding can cover both ground and aerial spraying. In addition, FEMA will reimburse up to 75 percent of mosquito control following a disaster such as flooding and the County plans to fully maximize all available funds to offset the local burden.
The County is gathering all required information to issue a formal Request for Proposals for aerial spraying. A full RFP will be required due to the anticipated cost of such an operation and the County anticipates that an RFP will be used by the end of the week.
“We have received interest from several vendors and don’t anticipate an issue with identifying a qualified vendor to conduct the aerial spraying,” Holder said.
In the meantime, while outdoors, people should remember to:
- Use mosquito repellent that contains DEET or an equivalent when outside and use caution when applying to children.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors.
- Make all efforts to dump or discard any amount of standing water around their homes, to the fullest extent possible.
More information on protective measures to reduce the risk of mosquito bites is available online at ncdhhs.gov/hurricane-florence-mosquitoes.
If you would like more information about the Cumberland County Department of Public Health’s programs and services, health-related data, or community resources, please call 910-433-3600 or visit with someone at the information desk, or visit our website at co.cumberland.nc.us/health.aspx. Comments are welcome and can be submitted on our website at co.cumberland.nc.us/feedback. The Health Department is located at 1235 Ramsey St. in Fayetteville.