COLUMBIA, S.C. — The City of Columbia announced on Saturday that it will begin spraying for adult mosquitoes throughout the remainder of the season to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness.
While the city's statement doesn't mention a particular area for the spraying, a map provided by the city shows at least one area of focus centering on the intersection of Two Notch Road and Covenant Road and extending north to West Beltline Boulevard and North Beltline Boulevard and south to Two Notch Road.
The city said most spraying will happen between midnight and dawn but could happen earlier. As such, residents who are allergic to some of the products used in the process, such as permethrin, deltamethrin or tau-fluvalinate, should contact Vector Control staff at 803-545-4229 or by emailing vector.control@columbiasc.gov. Beekeepers should also call or email code enforcement and let them know where they have hives.
The city also shared a list of actions Columbia residents can take to minimize the presence of mosquitoes, including the use of government-registered repellents, clearing drainage ditches, emptying anything containing water outdoors, keeping grass and shrubbery in check, packing tree holes with sand, cleaning clocked roof gutters, keeping boats overturned or covered in a way that doesn't collect water, stocking ornamental ponds with top-feeding minnows, properly maintaining swimming pools, chang the water in pet dishes and other outdoor items once a week and making sure there are screens on rain barrels.
