In an effort to protect public health and improve the quality of life for our citizens, the City administers a mosquito control program to control the mosquito population. The program consists of deployment of larvicide wafers in standing water and storm drains. The city used to spray insecticide; however, this service was discontinued due to adverse effects on the environment and wildlife.

Although no method of mosquito control is 100% effective, larvicide does offer some control of the mosquito population. We encourage residents to keep their lawns mowed, keep rain gutters clean, and remove all sources of standing water on the property.

Tips for reducing mosquitoes on your property:

• Clean up trash or litter around your yard 
• Remove or regularly flush places where water can collect around your home including pet dishes, bird baths, fountains, flower pots and old tires
• Don’t let water accumulate in rain gutters, piles of leaves, or in vegetation 
• Remove sources of standing water in and around your home in plant pot saucers, pool tarps, etc. 
• Tightly cover water storage containers (rain barrels, etc.) 
• For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito 
• If you have a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps

There are some simple precautions you can take to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and protect yourself from being bitten. Precautions include practicing the three “R’s” – reduce, repel and report.

REDUCE - make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut. Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.

REPEL - when outdoors, wear shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.

REPORT – report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes. Use the contact form on the right side of this page to report issues.

Resources

http://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/environmental-health-protection/vector-control-surveillance

https://www.cdc.gov/westnile/index.html

http://www.co.madison.il.us/departments/health/west_nile_virus_and_vector_surveillance.php