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Ground Fogging (Adulticiding)

When we ground fog or adulticide, we bring our vehicles into a specified area and drive through the streets emitting a spray / fog in order to kill adult mosquitoes. The effectiveness of the fogging may last for an hour and up to 3 days depending on the environmental conditions and the number of adults present.  Our fog will kill mosquitoes that are flying.  If they are residing in your lawns, or shrubbery, our fog will not reach them.  We suggest you use a barrier spray to protect your property in those cases.  Please review the information on our Owner Responsibilities page for more information.

 

We use ULV (ultralow volume) chemicals.  That means the fog comes out in micron droplets.  Approximately one 1 ounce shot glass of adulticiding product will treat one acre sized area.  This means that the fog that our calibrated machines emit comes out between 15 to 25 diameter micron dropplets.

Before Entering an Area

Several factors are evaluated before we can enter an area and fog. The first consideration is the number of mosquitoes identified. We evaluate this by the number of phone calls we get from an area and by the number of mosquitoes found when we trap in an area. We require a minimum of 40 adult mosquitoes in a trap in order to schedule ground fogging (adulticiding).   This is a mandate set forth in our Business Management Practices and FIFRA.

Necessary Conditions

The optimum temperature for fogging is above 54 degrees.  We cannot fog if the temperature is below because the product does not work  and the mosquitoes are not as active.  We can only fog if the wind speed is below eight miles per hour. We usually fog in the early morning or late evening because that is when the environment is optimal. Urban areas will get primary focus and rural areas will be addressed after completion of the urban areas. 

Residential Areas

Our fogging vehicles travel up and down residential streets.

Rural Areas 

In order for ground fogging (adulticiding) to work efficiently, the following situations need to be addressed: 

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  • A clear path needs to cleared with no obstructions. This will lessen the fire danger and limit damage to our equipment.

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  • All obstructions need to be well marked. This includes sprinklers, pipes and the like. We cannot be responsible for any damage to such items and may not enter an area where we cannot see the ground clearly. 

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  • Douglas County Mosquito Abatement District (DCMAD) technicians will have the ultimate decision of the safety of treating any area. 

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  • Due to National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and the Environmental Protection Agency (NPDES / EPA) regulations, ground fogging is determined by trapping count thresholds. 

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  • Federal regulations prevent us from fogging when there is running water. This includes sprinklers, ditches, and irrigation. We cannot drive onto wet / muddy pastures. 

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  • Gates need to be open or someone available to open and close them for us. Livestock needs to be contained out of our path. 

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  • Willows and foliage need to be trimmed, and weeds and grasses need to be mowed so that we can see the ground.

If you have bees on your property, please notify us. In return, as a courtesy, we will inform you as early as possible if we plan to fog in your area.

Fogging is done on an as-needed basis based on the number of phone calls we get from an area and by the number of adults found when we trap in an area. 

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