Albert Leans ran out of patience with the mosquito invasion this year, said Mayor Bob Haukoos.

Friday, June 29, 2001

Albert Leans ran out of patience with the mosquito invasion this year, said Mayor Bob Haukoos.

The June mosquito hatch has caught Albert Lea residents off guard, and a steady stream of calls to the city offices and council members moved the city to spray for the pests for the first time in a decade.

&uot;When talking to the council, we realized we’ve all been getting the complaints and concerns this week. We had a bad year last year, and I wonder if this is shaping up to be even worse,&uot; Haukoos said.

The mosquito testimonials are everywhere. People are cutting short their nightly walks, or trying to cover themselves with repellent. Working in the yard and garden has become unbearable for many others. Area playgrounds are quieter than usual because parents and daycare providers are concerned about swarming mosquitoes. Even barbeques and other outdoor meals are moving indoors.

&uot;It seems like I can’t be outside for more than 30 seconds. It’s almost unbearable,&uot; said resident Matt Benda. &uot;It was fine for most of June, and then the mosquitoes appeared in serious numbers out of nowhere.&uot;

He and his wife are expecting a baby any day, and Benda said he would be concerned about taking an infant outside with mosquito numbers so high. To get the city to consider spraying again, Benda drafted a petition and began circulating it Wednesday – only to learn Thursday that it was unnecessary when Haukoos told him of plans to spray.

&uot;I think this is great that the city is at least trying it again,&uot; Benda said. &uot;Hopefully it will make a dent.&uot;

Thursday night, the first of four sprayings covered Albert Lea as three atomizer units from More’s Ag Center in Blue Earth moved slowly down city. The fog kills mosquitoes, but little else, on contact Sparks said. The chemical, called Anvil, is a mild agent.

&uot;It’s the preferred chemical because it basically has no residual value. It disappears within hours,&uot; Sparks said.

The city abandoned spraying on its own about 10 years ago. With only one unit to cover the whole city, the process took days, Sparks said.

&uot;We also had people complaining about the chemical, and some were concerned about killing other insects,&uot; he said. &uot;But this new process will hopefully work better.&uot;

More’s Ag Center can use three units at the same time, making the process more efficient. Other cities like Austin, Forest City, Iowa and Zumbrota are contracting with More’s for mosquito control.

Chuck More said mosquito numbers appear to be up across the state, probably due to a very wet spring, and many cities are taking steps to control the pests. Though the process is expensive – four sprayings costs about $21,000 for Albert Lea – the Anvil chemical is a proven control agent, he said.

Sparks thinks contracting for the mosquito spraying job is probably more cost effective than the city trying to do it alone.

&uot;New equipment, training, overtime – it all adds up. This is a cheaper way to do gain some effective control,&uot; he said.

Dennis Raleigh of Raleigh’s Ace Hardware in Albert Lea said many people take mosquito control into their own hands, especially as the major summer holidays approach.

&uot;We see this every year to one degree or another,&uot; Raleigh said. &uot;People start coming in to the store that last week of June to see about taking care of the mosquitoes in their yard or garden. They’re worried about the Fourth of July. They come in again around fair time.&uot;

For some, citronella candles and torches are sufficient to keep the deck relatively free of mosquitoes. Personal repellents are enough for many customers. But Raleigh said others take more extreme measures.

&uot;We’ve got some insecticides that will do the trick if used in the right way. Propane foggers and yard sprays can make a difference,&uot; Raleigh said. &uot;I think everybody has a different tolerance for mosquitoes.&uot;

Haukoos hopes the first spraying Thursday will make a difference in the upcoming Fourth of July celebration.

&uot;The timing was such that we had to jump on this,&uot; Haukoos said. &uot;The next time the company was available was July 5, and we wanted to do something before then.&uot;