MOORHEAD, MINN. (KFGO) – On a 6-1 vote, the Moorhead City Council voted to approve the 2021 contract with Cass County Vector Control for mosquito control this summer but opted out of aerial spraying. It’s possible the council could reconsider spraying the city or end it completely.
The decision came about over what many say are the harmful effects of the insecticides used for spraying and those concerns heightened after the die-off of thousands of monarch butterflies last summer following aerial spraying across the Fargo-Moorhead area.
Moorhead resident Joseph Allen told council members aerial spraying dates back to a time before anyone knew about the dangers of the toxic chemicals used and that it should be done only in an emergency.
City Council member Deb White said pulling out of the aerial spraying allows the city to address the concerns in the short term. She said she can’t think of many issues people have raised more concerns about than the aerial spraying and city leaders need to respond.
Moorhead Public Works Director Steve Iverson was directed to research how other cities control mosquitoes. The City Council will discuss the findings in two weeks.
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