After a rainy July, Horry County to spray for mosquitoes
Following a rainy July, Horry County will conduct mosquito spraying starting the week of Aug. 16, 2021.
It’s not yet clear where the spraying will occur. Specific areas identified for spraying will be released at a later date, county officials said in a news release, and will also be available on their website.
Aerial spraying will be conducted 30-minutes prior to sunset and 30-minutes after sunset, weather permitting.
Horry County Council member Al Allen, who represents Aynor and a large portion of Western Horry County, and who owns the aviation firm Allen Aviation, confirmed that his company will conduct the spraying. Allen said Friday he didn’t yet know where the county would direct him to spray.
Allen’s company has a multi-year contract with Horry County to spray for mosquitoes worth a total of $77,000, according to state ethics forms.
Mosquito spraying is commonly done after periods of significant rain, as mosquitoes can breed rapidly in wet, humid climates. According to data from the National Weather Service’s station in North Myrtle Beach, 17 days of July experienced some rain, with thunderstorms occurring on 14 of those days. A total of 6.4 inches of rain was recorded. According to the NWS’ station in Florence, 16 days of July experienced some rain, with thunderstorms occurring on 13 of those days. That station recorded 5.7 inches of precipitation.
Horry County spokesperson Thomas Bell added that the county attempts to spray for mosquitoes regularly to keep the population in check, and that recent rains have made doing so more difficult. County officials hope a mid-August dry spell will allow the sprays to occur, he said.
“They try to do the spraying regularly to keep down on the number of mosquitoes,” he said.
The chemicals used for mosquito control spraying are approved by the EPA and pose minimal risk to humans or animals, the county said in an email. People with asthma or other respiratory illness may wish to stay indoors, close windows and doors during spraying.
Homegrown fruits and vegetables should be washed, scrubbed, and/or peeled before eating, the email stated.
To help keep Horry County’s honeybee population safe, officials urged beekeepers to contact Horry County Stormwater to identify the location of their colonies. Beekeepers can tell the county where they keep their colonies at the county’s website.
Allen’s mosquito-spraying contract has previously come under scrutiny from his fellow members on the council. Following an internal fight over the release of certain attorney information earlier this year that escalated into a deeper fight, some members of council voiced support for legislation that would make it illegal for county officials to do businesses with the county. That legislation has not moved forward in a meaningful way.
Allen has repeatedly defended his work with the county, saying his contract has been previously investigated and is fully ethical.
Citizens who need to request spraying in the unincorporated areas of Horry County can contact the Horry County Road & Drainage Hotline at 843-381-8000 or by the online form found on their website.
