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Mosquito Spraying Alerts#

icon of a bug spray can

In the event that the City of Fort Collins, at the recommendation of the Larimer County Department of Health & Environment, decides to spray for mosquitoes, you can sign up for community alerts at NOCO Alert

Text Alerts: To receive a text message alert, simply text FCWNV to 888-777. 

Email Alerts: Go to NOCO Alert and create an account. In the Subscriptions section (after completing your profile and locations) click "Community Alerts," check the "Fort Collins" box, and then check the "West Nile Virus Spraying" box to receive alerts.

NOCO Alert is managed by LETA911, which is the Governing Authority for 9-1-1 in Larimer County, Colorado. LETA911 provides oversight to 9-1-1, the equipment, and the programs funded by LETA. This includes non-emergency or community alerts for WNV spraying. 

Register for NOCO Alerts

Mosquito Spraying FAQs#

Maps of the spraying zones will be posted online when spraying is announced. The numbers and colors are the designated areas that have been identified for spraying. They are meant to help the viewer differentiate between areas quickly.

The name of the product is Aqua Perm-X UL 30-30. The active ingredient is Permethrin and it is applied at a rate of .007 lbs. of Permethrin per acre by a truck–mounted ultralow volume spray rig. It is an EPA–approved product for mosquito control. The West Nile Virus Technical Advisory Committee researched many products for this type of control and this is the best product currently on the market for our application. Permethrin degrades in sunlight and in water, so a good practice would be to irrigate gardens the morning after application.

Permethrin can affect insects if they eat it or touch it. Permethrin affects the nervous system in insects. Permethrin is more toxic to insects than it is to people and dogs. This is because insects can't break it down as quickly as people and dogs. Cats are more sensitive to permethrin than dogs or people.

Learn more about permethrin.

To minimize pesticide exposure, residents should stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed for 30-60 minutes after spraying occurs. Bring pets indoors as well.

It is recommended that family pets be brought inside during the spraying application. Please allow at least 30 minutes to pass before going outside or letting your pet outside.

To try to reduce the exposure to pesticides, you could take the time to cover any water features in your yard. A tarp or a sheet will suffice; the chemical is applied as a mist and it will not penetrate the sheet.

You can minimize exposure to the pesticides by covering your garden with a tarp or sheet. The chemical does not penetrate the skin of vegetables, so if your garden was uncovered, washing vegetables with warm soap and water will remove any pesticide residue.

Yes, you can run your air conditioning, but we recommend covering the fresh air intake for your system while spraying occurs.

Notifications are sent to people who have opted in to receive West Nile Virus Spraying Community Alerts through NOCO Alert.

  • Email Alerts: Create an account and under "My Alert Subscriptions" click "Community Alerts" and then check the "Fort Collins" box and check "West Nile Virus Spraying" to receive alerts.
  • Text Alerts: To receive a text message alert, simply text FCWNV to 888-777. 

NOCO Alert is managed by LETA911, which is the Governing Authority for 9-1-1 in Larimer County, Colorado. LETA911 provides oversight to 9-1-1, the equipment, and the programs funded by LETA. This includes non-emergency or community alerts for WNV adulticiding. 

Register for NOCO Alerts

The City consults with the Parks & Recreation departments, Poudre School District, and Colorado State University on any scheduled outdoor events within the spray zone, and will adjust routes to spray in those areas later in the evening, after events have concluded. If you have an outdoor event planned on private property that cannot be rescheduled or moved indoors (such as a backyard wedding), similar timing adjustments may be possible; please call 970-416-2738 or email aresseguie@fcgov.com to discuss details.

 

No. The risk of West Nile virus is considered a public health issue. The City will only make special accommodations for those residents who are listed on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Sensitive Registry. More information is available on their website.

While the State of Colorado does not guarantee municipalities will make mosquito-spraying accommodations for those on the registry, the City of Fort Collins does abide by this list in its spray operations.

If you are a business or laboratory you can apply to opt out of spraying operations. Please keep in mind only commercial businesses with a valid sales tax license that are able to prove a long-term negative financial impact on their business will be considered.

To apply: