Boone County health department says mosquito fogging is safe

Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services sprayed Hartsburg to control the mosquito population. Hartsburg city government asked the health department to mosquito fog the area because of the flooding.

There are still several roads closed in Hartsburg as a result of flooding and water is sitting stagnant in many areas.

Roberta Vendsel has lived in Hartsburg for five years. She said the mosquitoes have been noticeably worse since the flooding.

“At night is when they come out. So if we’re like sitting out on the patio, we do kind of get bit up,” she said.

Vendsel said she thinks the spray will benefit people and animals and will prevent diseases.

“They’re saying it is a good idea because mosquitoes carry so many diseases. So, yeah I think it is a good idea, not just for humans but all the livestock that may get bit by the mosquitoes,” she said.

The health department said the spray is not dangerous to humans, and degrades rapidly in the environment. It said the active ingredient in the spray emulates the naturally derived insecticides known as pyrethrins found in chrysanthemum flowers.

Vendsel said she is not concerned the spray will have negative effects.

“When I lived in Wisconsin they did some fogging because Wisconsin is heavy with mosquitoes, flood or not, and there were no ill effects, and that was probably like 20 some years ago,” she said.