WELLINGTON, Fla.-- While there have been other threatening illnesses carried by mosquitoes in the past, Zika is one that has Wellington Village Manager Paul Schofield extremely concerned.
"If you're going to have children, it can affect them and that bothers me," Schofield said.
For the first time, Wellington's mosquito controlemployees are working seven days a week.
"We've doubled the amount of spraying units that are out every day. We've also changed our spraying schedule from a five day schedule to a seven day schedule," Schofield said.
Mosquito control crews will also treat local lakes and canals with pesticide, although their efforts are limited. According to Schofield, half of Wellington's communities are gated.
"In communities where they are gated communities and the lakes are private--we don't have access, we're not doing those. We're contacting the homeowners associations to find out what can be done," he said.
The Village is also waiting on approval from the Palm Beach County School District to spray athletic fields at schools across Wellington ahead of the start of the school year.
Schofield said residents can also help with the fight against mosquitoes by getting rid of standing water on their property.
"At my home, my dog has a little kiddie pool that gets emptied every night because it doesn't take very long for mosquitoes to start to breed," he said.
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Schofield said there's no end in sight for the seven day a week spraying schedule. He added that it could last until the winter when cooler temperatures typically kill off mosquitoes.
The mosquito control crews spray late at night, Schofield said, when not many people are outside.
According to the Village, the pesticide is safe if you come in contact with it, although it may cause a reaction in people who have respiratory illnesses.
