HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – The relatively dry winter the Hi-Line experienced this year has one potential benefit — fewer mosquitoes this summer, according to Hill County Weed and Mosquito District Supervisor Terry Turner.
“So far, I’m thinking we’re only going to be treating about a quarter of what we usually treat for putting out the pellets. Right now, we’re going into some of those reservoir bottoms and they are completely dry. And we’re probably in one of the drier times I’ve seen for a little while. I don’t think there’s going to be much of a mosquito problem unless we get a whole bunch of rain a little bit later on. What water is out there right now, we can pretty well take care of pretty easily.”
Turner says he expects some mosquito sightings by May or mid-June and provides several tips to prevent infestations.
“I encourage people, if you’ve got any old tires hanging out on your property, properly dispose of them. That’s where, if you get a little bit of water inside a car tire or a tractor tire, something like that, the heat from the sun heats those things up rapidly and they have a chance of hatching out within 3 to 5 days. Those are probably one of the biggest out there for attracting a lot of mosquitoes. So get rid of those old tires if they’ve been hanging around for awhile.”
Once the weather consistently warms up into the 80s, the Weed and Mosquito District will begin their annual fogging program, which is meant to help stop the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
