Mosquito Abatement

The Village of Pingree Grove conducts mosquito fogging during the summer months with weather permitting - that being calm and dry. Fogging is conducted after dusk to maximize effectiveness of the program. It is adviseable to remain indoors while the fogging process takes place, for up to 30 minutes after. 

The Village's mosquito abatement program is based on a scientific approach to the issue.  Mosquito traps are monitored on a regular basis to determine mosquito population density in the community.  It is the the female mosquito that bites, when the trap count is high enough, the fogging program is activated by the Public Works department.  The fogging chemicals are very expensive, and thus, we only activate the process when it is warranted based on actual mosquito counts.

The fogging truck drives a prescribed route through the residential streets in the Village.  The insecticidal fogging chemical is only effective on mosquitoes that it has contact with.  This means that the fogging will likely not be effective against mosquitoes that are congregating in residential backyards, or in wooded areas.  By law, it is prohibited to perform fogging around the perimeter of ponds, lakes and other water sources, due to the potential adverse impact on fish and wildlife.

The Village has implemented a GPS routing system for the fogging truck, and track the precise amount of time it takes to traverse the Village, as well as the mileage involved.  We regularly check and confirm that our applications are being conducted at the optimal speed to ensure maximum effectiveness and cost-efficiency.

Most species of mosquito have the ability to fly 1-3 miles.  The Village of Pingree Grove has large naturalized areas in the vicinity (including Kane County Forest Preserve maintained marsh and wetland areas) that are well within that 1-3 mile radius.  This means that whatever steps the Village takes for mosquito abatement, we are unable to fully control the population of mosquitoes in the area that are within "flight and bite" distance of the Village.  However, we do our best to try to mitigate the local impacts, and to keep our community comfortable and safe!