This pest is really bugging Horry County residents after Hurricane Florence’s floodwaters

As floodwaters slowly recede, a new issue is starting to bug Horry County residents — mosquitoes.

The insect is known for spreading diseases and breeding in shallow bodies of standing water. In Horry County, they are becoming a bigger issue in areas that have flooding following Hurricane Florence.

“We will continue to work the mosquito problem,” said Chris Eldridge, county administrator. “It will be a problem for a while.”

The county council passed a resolution Thursday to transfers $3 million from the general fund to the stormwater fund to assist with mosquito spraying. Mosquitoes are expected to linger. If spraying kills the first batch, another hatching should follow.

The spraying will be done by air and truck, with some sprayings Thursday along highways 11, 50 and 90. The county plans sprayings throughout the weekend in to-be-determined locations.

The county stressed that the chemicals used in spraying are Environmental Protection Agency safe and pose a minimal risk to humans and animals.

“We will be ramping up those efforts for aerial spraying when we can,” Eldridge said.

Horry County residents can request spraying by visiting www.horrycounty.org or by calling the Horry County Road & Drainage Hotline at 843-381-8000.

Eldridge said they are asking business and homeowners to take normal year-round precautions, such as dumping pots and drains that have standing water.

“Those are really breeding grounds for mosquitoes,” Eldridge said.

Coastal Carolina University Biology Professor Chris Hill said the quickest mosquitoes hatch is in about a week. Hatching typically takes two weeks in standing water — like many area of Horry County experienced.

“It’s only just beginning,” Hill said.

There are 61 different kinds of mosquitoes in South Carolina, but Hill said there isn’t a big threat of them transmitting well-known disease like Zika or Yellow Fever.

The best thing residents can do to protect themselves it to dump items that collect water each week, Hill said. If people are looking for a low-cost method to protect themselves, osculating fans can keep misquotes away as the insect is not the strongest flier, Hill said.

The DHEC has several webpages with information about mosquitoes. Horry County’s Stormwater Department also provided several safety tips for residents:

• Use bug spray. Active ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol can help protect you.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants to cover your skin.
• Tip and toss water-filled containers around homes and businesses.

This story was originally published September 27, 2018 at 3:33 PM.