Due to heavy rains and flooding, the mosquito population is booming in north Texas. The city of Garland Health Department is taking an aggressive approach toward tackling that problem.
The Environmental Health division is suspending most routine activities to focus the entire staff on mosquito abatement during the next few weeks. Licensed staff members, and employees working under their supervision, will apply two types of larvicide to standing water in the 63 Garland parks and greenbelts, and to standing water in unimproved alleys throughout the city.
Staff will use both fast acting and extended release larvicide that will prevent mosquito breeding for approximately 30 days to allow for post-flood drying. Routine mosquito surveillance and abatement activities targeting mosquitoes will continue during this time to combat the transmission of West Nile Virus.
The Garland Health Department needs help from Garland residents and property owners to eliminate mosquito breeding on private property. The Health Department encourages every Garland resident or property owner to check their property and eliminate any standing water. Standing water that cannot be drained should be reported to the Garland Health Department’s mosquito hotline at 972-205-3720, by email to EnvHealth@GarlandTX.gov, or via Garland eAssist (select Environmental Health).
Residents should also take precautions to prevent mosquito bites by limiting outdoor activity during dawn and dusk hours, wearing pants and long sleeve clothing, and using a product containing DEET according to label directions. For more detailed information on Garland’s mosquito surveillance and abatement program, visit the Health Department webpage at GarlandTx.gov.