Buzz killers on the job: inside Sioux Falls mosquito control

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Mosquitoes are a fact of life during a South Dakota summer, but the City of Sioux Falls wants people to know the fight against them is about much more than just spray trucks.

Sioux Falls city crews are working around the clock to track, test, and stop mosquitoes before they even get the chance to bite.

Crews search for larvae in standing water, setting ultraviolet traps to monitor mosquito populations and collect samples from around the city.

Those samples eventually end up inside the mosquito lab, where they are tested for West Nile Virus.

“West Nile is a huge problem in South Dakota. We’re one of the highest per capita, and it’s been that way for a long time,” said Maddi Anderson, City of Sioux Falls Mosquito Control Program Supervisor.

So far this season, no mosquitoes tested by the city have come back positive! Residents who live in the city say that they haven’t experienced many bites so far this year, and they think it might be due to the city spraying.

“I feel like this year it’s helped. I mean, I haven’t gotten bitten a lot so far this year. I mean, we just noticed a few on her today, but other than that, not too bad at all this year!” said Kelly, a Sioux Falls resident.

And while most residents will only notice the spray trucks that go by at night, the city says the real work is often the part no one sees: proactive daytime duties like ATV riding to treat fields of cat rails and drainage ways, clearing standing water, treating every storm sewer, collecting data and more.

“Those daytime things are helping us keep the counts down before they even hatch into adults, and so preferably you want to get them before they hatch and bite you,” said Anderson.

The city says whether it’s testing for West Nile, tracking mosquito population, or spraying when needed, the goal is simple: keep the tiny pests from becoming a big problem. This isn’t just about mosquito control; it’s about disease prevention.