OROVILLE – In a press release last Friday the City of Oroville announced it will begin spraying for mosquitoes as soon as the high water goes down.

For the first time in recent years, Oroville budgeted for a one-time aerial application to help eradicate the bothersome summertime pests. The city has been receiving several inquiries as to when it will spray for mosquitoes, which have been particularly bad this year.

“We are fully aware of how bad the mosquitoes are this year, largely due to the wet spring and high water, but if we spray too early while waters are still high, we will not eradicate the mosquitoes,” writes the city in the release. “We want to get the timing just right for the optimum results and ask for your patience.”

The cost of the application is about $7500 and will be applied to the entire city limits and adjacent wetlands in order to achieve the best results. In the meantime, the city is encouraging residents to eliminate any standing water on their property to minimize the mosquito larvae hatch. The spray is normally applied during the early morning hours because the air is most calm that time of day.

“Please do not be alarmed by the sound of the aircraft; they are trying of ease our mosquito problems,” states the press release.

In order to maximize the effectiveness of the spray application, residents will be asked to turn off all outside water and irrigation systems the night before and to not irrigate until the morning of the following day. Doing so will allow the vegetation surfaces to be dry for maximum effect.

Residents are also encouraged to bring their pets and all water and food dishes for their pets indoors during the spray operation.

Notices about the proposed application date will be posted on the city’s website oroville-wa.com, on KOMW and at city hall. For additional information, please contact the city hall at (509) 476-2926.