Gilbert may stop anti-mosquito fogging

For years, Gilbert has been the only East Valley municipality to provide anti-mosquito fogging services.

Others rely on Maricopa County to keep mosquitoes that potentially carry West Nile virus in a pesticide fog.

But budget constraints have led town leaders to consider ending the fogging program in most Gilbert neighborhoods at the end of this month.

The Gilbert Town Council is set to vote June 24 on ending the residential portion of its $163,000 contract with a private contractor to fog residential areas.

The current contract expires June 30.

Gilbert will save about $95,000 a year, officials said, by ending the twice-a-week fogging of more than 150 subdivisions.

Only two, Val Vista Park and Madera Parc, will continue to receive the fogging services, as both subdivisions have park-improvement districts.

"These were built before HOAs were mandatory for all communities," Gilbert spokesman Garin Groff said.

Homeowners in those neighborhoods pay an extra tax that goes toward upkeep of common areas, as well as mosquito fogging, Groff said.

Gilbert officials initially considered completely eliminating the town-funded fogging and leaving the job to Maricopa County, which already performs similar duties in problems spots throughout the county.

But council members balked at the idea in early April, instead choosing to eliminate only the residential service. At the time, Councilwoman Linda Abbott said she had heard concerns from parents about mosquitoes during youth sports activities at town parks.

The county's vector control officials already monitor mosquitoes in Gilbert by regularly trapping the insects to test for West Nile virus. They also test for high concentrations of mosquitoes.

The county will fog areas within one square mile of wherever 30 or more Culex mosquitoes, which are so adapted to biting humans they go unnoticed and are most likely to carry West Nile virus, are found.

But Maricopa County's fogging program is done primarily on an as-needed basis, meaning residents will have to report problems instead of relying on regular twice-a-week fogging.

Town officials point out that there are several things home-owners can do to help reduce mosquitoes, including removing areas of standing water as well as old tires, buckets, toys, bird baths and fountains.

Regularly changing the water in bird baths and properly maintaining swimming pools also helps.

For more information on county fogging schedules and maps, go to www.maricopa.gov/EnvSvc/VectorControl.