Mosquito Management
Pilot Program
The City of Bexley Mosquito Taskforce is a group of residents and experts who came together in the summer of 2021 to figure out a more sustainable way to manage mosquitoes in our community. This summer, the task force is embarking on a research study that will evaluate different management strategies to control mosquitoes.
Their goal is to find new approaches that would continue to control mosquitos in Bexley while also supporting our city’s beneficial insects, birds, and overall biodiversity.
The task force is recruiting residents interested in having their properties be a part of the pilot program. To participate, use the 'Click Here to Participate' button on this page, and someone from the Task Force will contact you once the form is submitted.
For confirmed Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 groups, as well as residents not participating in the 2022 Mosquito Pilot Program who don't want to receive spray, please use the Do Not Spray Request Form.
Quick Links
Contact Information
For feedback on this initiative or to volunteer with the Mosquito Taskforce, please email inquiries to Natalie Vawter, Mayor Kessler's Executive Assistant, or call (614) 559-4210.
Background & Additional Information
From June 15 – Sept. 15, 2022, The Mosquito Taskforce will be conducting a research study to evaluate four different management practices for mosquito control that will be replicated throughout Bexley. What’s the deal with each of the treatment groups for the Mosquito Pilot Program?
Treatment groups are groupings of exactly 5 houses: either 5 in a row, or 3 in a row with 2 behind connected by backyards or alleys. There is no cost to residents for any of the treatment groups.
- Current opt out: This treatment group opts out of Franklin County Public Health (FCPH) spraying and performs best mosquito management practices. Treatment 1 groups will receive a free yard consultation to examine possible mosquito breeding grounds, free BTI dunks and a free fan (mosquitoes are weak flyers and turning on a fan by your seating area will keep mosquitoes away.) An OSU Researcher will assess your yard a few times during the summer.
- Opt-out + traps: This group will opt out from FCPH spray, perform best mosquito management practices and will have 2 mosquito traps set on their property. The traps will require 15 minutes of attention per week. An OSU researcher will assess your yard a few times during the summer.
- Current opt in: This group receives FCPH spray, performs best mosquito management practices and an OSU Researcher will assess your yard a few times during the summer.
- Opt in + barrier sprays: This group performs best mosquito management practices, receives FCPH spray plus an additional barrier spraying during the summer. An OSU researcher will assess your yard a few times during the summer.
Interested in participating? Please fill out this form!
And know that whichever treatment group you and your neighbors participate in, you will be helping the city determine the best strategy for controlling mosquitoes while protecting our beneficial insects in Bexley!
Each summer, Franklin County Public Health regularly collects and tests mosquitoes for the presence West Nile virus in north Bexley and south Bexley. When they find that mosquitoes from either region test positive for West Nile, the entire area is sprayed with an insecticide. The insecticide, Biomist Duet Merus Natular, is EPA-approved and is applied in ways that minimize negative impacts to human, animal, and environmental health. However, it’s possible that these sprays may be having unintended, negative consequences on beneficial insects, including pollinators, as well as prey species eaten by birds.
Taskforce members believe it’s possible for Bexley to adopt new mosquito management strategies that have fewer negative impacts on the environment while also protecting from dangerous diseases and reducing nuisance. Doing so is essential for the long-term sustainable health and biodiversity for our community.
Previous research has shown that using mosquito-specific traps on a community-wide scale can successfully reduce mosquito numbers. Trapping further serves as a preventative measure that reduces mosquito nuisance throughout the summer, as opposed to curative spraying that occurs after West Nile virus is found. However, to date no research has compared insecticide spraying with mosquito traps in terms of effectiveness or supporting insect biodiversity and ecosystem health.
That’s where the Taskforce’s research study, to be conducted in conjunction with Ohio State researchers and Bexley residents, comes in. The study will evaluate three different management practices for mosquito control that will be replicated throughout the city during the summer. This will involve comparing clusters of properties that will either use mosquito traps, continue with the current spraying program, or do neither. Over the coming weeks, we will be reaching out to residents to organize participation in the study. We’ll also be updating this website page, so check back soon for more information and specific details about how the study will function!
Franklin County Public Health conducts mosquito spraying when a set trap tests positive for West Nile Virus. To learn more about the County's mosquito management program, visit mosquito.myfcph.org/management-plan.
Links to additional resources related to the pilot program:
From the CDC: What You Need to Know About Mosquito Spraying
Franklin County Public Health's Mosquito Management Plan
Suspend Polyzone Safety Data Sheet
Meet the Task Force
