The City of Noblesville was informed Aug. 2 by the Hamilton County Health Dept. that an in-house testing of mosquitos returned with a positive sample of West Nile Virus in Dillon Park.
The samples were collected by the Indiana State Dept. of Health, and there has not been any notification of humans being infected with the virus in Noblesville.
The city said the Noblesville Street Dept. is actively checking ponds in the area, and the Noblesville Parks and Recreation Dept. is looking for standing water inside the park.
“To be safe, all residents are encouraged to use bug spray when outdoors,” Mayor John Ditslear said. “The city and county are taking all steps to remove mosquitos through larvacide, spraying and monitoring.”
As a preventative measure, the Noblesville Street Dept. several year ago began controlling mosquitos at the larval stage with larvacide. Larvicides kill larvae in the breeding habitat before they can mature into adult mosquitoes and disperse – helping to reduce the adult mosquito population in nearby areas.
“We’ve received so much rain that large standing water is not getting stagnate where mosquito larvae are hatching. It could come from smaller areas like watering cans or puddles,” Noblesville Street Commissioner Patty Johnson said. “Since we began larvacide, we’ve had less issues with mosquitos. Catching them before they hatch is the best option.”
The Indiana State Health Dept. provides the following tips:
- Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are active (especially late afternoon, dusk to dawn and early morning)
- Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol to clothes and exposed skin
- Cover exposed skin by wearing a hat, long sleeves and long pants in places where mosquitoes are especially active, such as wooded areas
- Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of the home
Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Even a container as small as a bottle cap can become a breeding ground, according to officials. Residents should:
- Discard old tires, tin cans, ceramic pots or other containers that can hold water
- Repair failed septic systems
- Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors
- Keep grass cut short and shrubbery trimmed
- Repair failed septic systems
- Clean clogged roof gutters, particularly if leaves tend to plug up the drains
- Frequently replace the water in pet bowls
- Flush ornamental fountains and birdbaths periodically
- Aerate ornamental pools, or stock them with predatory fish
