Metro Atlanta

Soggy South Georgia fears spread of mosquitoes after floods

March 16, 2020

Soggy areas of South Georgia recovering from heavy rains and flooding are bracing for a new threat — swarms of mosquitoes.

WALB-TV reports mosquito control officers in Dougherty County are doing what they can to fight the blood-sucking bugs.

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Donell Mathis, the county environmental control manager, said his team is dropping briquettes into standing water that keep mosquito eggs from hatching. But they can only do that on public property.

“We’re looking to start our spraying, which we will have four trucks in operation,” he said. “We’ll spray all areas to make sure we combat problems that we may have with mosquitoes this year.”

Mathis said homeowners need to take charge around their own houses and dump any standing water in buckets, birdbaths, old tires and other places that can serve as mosquito nurseries.

Wire coverage

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Georgia’s mosquito season typically starts in March and can stretch into the summer, depending on how much rainfall areas get.

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