West Nile Virus has become a very real issue in South Carolina. Under the state term contract, we have already responded to needs for emergency mosquito treatment in Anderson County, Union County and Rock Hill, but the virus has affected yet another person in Spartanburg. Our course of action was determined by a Gregory Board Certified Entomologist. Pest management professionals will use the same treatment methods as was used in Anderson, Union and Rock Hill which will cover a three-mile radius in Spartanburg near the site of the affected person.
What is West Nile Virus?
This disease is spread through mosquitoes and can attack the central nervous system in serious cases. West Nile Virus originates in birds that act as “amplifiers.” This means high levels of the virus can develop in the blood stream. Mammals that become infected with the virus are “dead end” hosts because they cannot develop high levels of the virus in their blood stream. Due to the low levels of the virus in the infected mammal, the mosquito cannot spread the virus by biting an infected human. It can only be spread by biting an infected bird.
What are Symptoms of West Nile Virus?
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, most people who contract West Nile Virus don’t even know they have it and won’t experience symptoms. Other people (about 20%)
who contract the disease will experience symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or rash.
Less than 1% of people infected will develop serious side effects that attack the central nervous system. These symptoms include but are not limited to: high fever, headache, coma, tremors and vision loss. Ten percent of those who develop serious side effects result in fatality.
If you experience any of these symptoms, contact a physician.
Plan of Action: Mosquito Treatment
The area will be treated with Ultralow-volume (ULV) applications of Aqua-reslin. ULV is when tiny particles of product are released into the air to specifically target adult mosquitoes. The small size of the particles allow us to treat for mosquitoes while protecting other, larger organisms. To be effective, Aqua-reslin has to directly hit the organism in question. Pollinators often go into the trees or thick vegetation at night to rest which will protect them from the treatment. Aqua-reslin will also leave no residue. So, you can rest assured that your pets and crops will not be harmed by aftereffects of the product. We have also chosen to treat the area at night to protect pollinators and also because the species of mosquito known to spread West Nile Virus are most active at night time.
Public Education for Mosquito Prevention
Our representatives will be going around neighborhoods within the treatment area to educate the members of the community on how to protect against mosquitoes. A lot of us have habits that are actually conducive to mosquitoes. An example of some of these habits is leaving out your pet’s water dish. Mosquitoes only need half an inch of standing water to breed. So places like bird baths, water dishes and ornamental ponds are a mosquito’s paradise. Dump out standing water and refresh your pet’s water dish regularly to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs. Other areas that have standing water include storm drains and ditches. Because these areas will not be a source of drinking water and cannot be drained, we use a larvicide to prevent larva already hatched from eggs from becoming adults.
Gregory Pest Solutions would like to remind all counties in South Carolina that they can participate in the South Carolina State Term Mosquito Service Contract. This contract was awarded to Gregory Pest Solutions and offers set pricing to certain state funded institutions. Contact us for more details.