What the City is Doing
Public Health – Seattle and King County leads the response to West Nile virus in Seattle. The City of Seattle supports Public Health’s efforts by:
• helping to educate people about reducing their risks;
• reducing mosquito breeding on City properties; and
• trapping mosquitoes for testing.
How the City Reduces Mosquito Breeding
Since mosquitoes only need a small amount of water to breed, the City takes steps to reduce standing water on City properties. The City has a West Nile Virus Response Planand an Integrated Pest Management Plan (IPM) that focus more on habitat reduction rather than the use of pesticides to control mosquito breeding. When standing water on a City property cannot be eliminated, the City uses larvicides to kill the immature stages of mosquitoes before they become flying adult insects. The City favors larvicides that are biological and are least toxic to other insects and animals and has evaluated several products to determine which would be most appropriate for City use.
Mosquito Trapping
An infected mosquito can provide an early warning sign that West Nile virus is in an area. The City assists Public Health in trapping adult mosquitoes for West Nile virus testing. The City sets up mosquito traps in various locations around Seattle, collects mosquitoes in the traps and sends them to health officials for testing.
