Jenny Peterson/Journal Scene

Dorchester County Maintenance Worker Marvin Branch’s job is to make the county as mosquito-free as possible. He uses a county truck with a sprayer in the back to combat the bugs each night from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m.

The arrival of mosquitoes is the quickest way to ruin an otherwise pleasant outdoor gathering.

Unfortunately, with the recent abundance of rain and subsequent stagnant water throughout the county, mosquitoes are having a field day noshing on unsuspecting residents.

Dorchester County employees are combating this problem by spraying down subdivisions and neighborhoods five days a week hoping to eradicate enough of the insects to keep residents and visitors happy.

Spraying is done by maintenance worker Marvin Branch in a special county truck from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. Monday through Friday. He’s been spraying the county for the past nine years.

Scott Gaskins, grounds maintenance supervisor in the Facilities, Grounds, and Recreation Department with the county oversees the county’s mosquito abatement program.

Since April 24 — the first day of spraying for the season — employees have sprayed approximately 6,214 miles of mosquito-ridden roads, according to County Administrator Jason Ward. Spraying will continue until November or even December depending on the mosquito population, Gaskins said.

Priority areas are ones that residents have complained about the most — usually areas with neighborhood ponds, deep ditches and other spots where water can gather, Gaskins said.

“It only takes a very small amount of water (for a mosquito) to lay eggs,” Gaskins said. “Within the last two to three weeks, calls have really been coming in. After rain (comes), any eggs laying around start to hatch.”

Gaskins identified King’s Grant and Ashborough East subdivisions as high-priority areas, and said the county gets on average 25-30 calls a week from all parts of the county complaining about an abundance of mosquitoes.

In addition to spraying during the night, county employees place briquettes in ponds and ditches that kill mosquito larvae, preventing the prolific bugs from hatching.

While the county does all it can to tackle the pesky problem, Gaskins said residents can help with the effort by making sure there is no standing water in their yards.

Birdbaths, buckets, wheelbarrows, bottles and other containers that hold water should be emptied or drained, Gaskins said. Residents can also purchase briquettes themselves to place in standing water containers.

It’s not just a livability issue; mosquitoes can spread the West Nile virus to humans and birds. Gaskins said residents should take note of any dead birds in the area and report such findings to the Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Gaskins said a better way to tackle the problem would be aerial spraying, but said the county does not have the money to pay for it. Another challenge is that employees can only spray on state and county roads, not drive on private property.

Working together, residents and the county can help eliminate summer’s most unwelcomed visitor.

To report a mosquito problem in your area, call the public works department at 843-832-0070.

Contact Jenny Peterson at 873-9424 ext. 216 or JPeterson@journalscene.com.

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