Andalusia, Opp spraying for pests; residents reminded to empty standing water

The days are numbered for mosquitoes in Opp, much to the delight of residents after Monday the city council authorized spraying city streets for the pests.

City Clerk Connie Smith said the spraying for mosquitoes has been widely debated by council members, mainly because of the cost and regulations surrounding the practice.

“There’s a lot that goes into spraying,” Smith said. “You have to have a permit from ADEM. The chemicals are expensive and plus there’s the personnel cost.”

To put the practice in place, the council voted to contract with Lewis Pest Control, but agreed to later do a cost comparison between the contract price and the city performing the service.

In Andalusia, trucks have been running as often as the weather permits to fight the mosquito population, Public Works Director Glenn Rawls said Tuesday.

“We usually are out between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., and it takes us the whole week to spray the city,” Rawls said. “We have to travel very slow, and if it’s windy or rainy, we can’t spray.”

City officials reminded residents to do their part in keeping the mosquito population down.

“Keep all containers and buckets turned upside, and make sure that all standing water is dumped out,” Rawls said.