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Cold Weather Advisory
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Mayor Wu has issued a cold weather advisory for Tuesday, January 21 - Thursday, January 23. Boston is also preparing for an anticipated six to eight inches of snowfall Sunday evening,
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Mosquito Control

The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) partners with the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project (SCMCP) to protect Boston residents from mosquito-borne disease transmission.

Mosquito-borne illnesses spread to people by the bite of an infected mosquito. Examples include West Nile Virus (WNV) or Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus. The season for mosquito borne illness in Boston is summer through early fall.

As of August 20, 2024, the risk level for West Nile Virus in Boston is: high.

What it meansInfection with West Nile Virus is likely or has already occurred and more people in your area may get infected.

What you can do to prevent WNV infection:
  1. Be prepared: Know your risk -check this page regularly, repair screens, clean up to get rid of mosquito breeding sites, be aware of stagnant water on private property (e.g. unused swimming pools) and consult the local board of health.
  2. Wear long sleeves and long pants from dusk to dawn when weather permits
  3. Use mosquito netting on baby carriages and playpens
  4. Wear mosquito repellent when outdoors, especially between dusk and dawn
  5. Dump standing water twice weekly
  6. People over 50 or those who are immune compromised should adjust outdoor activity to avoid peak mosquito hours (from dusk to dawn)

What we do

BPHC partners with the Suffolk County Mosquito Control Project (SCMCP) to protect Boston residents from mosquito-borne disease transmission. The SCMCP collects mosquito samples in traps every week during the summer and early fall. These traps are throughout the City. They test the samples at the Hinton State Laboratory to determine if WNV or EEE virus is present.

Information from mosquito collections helps determine where to put extra precautions to keep Boston residents safe. This may include truck mounted aerosol spraying to control adult mosquito populations.

Positive Collection Results: Summer 2023-2024

County   City Date Collected Species Quadrant Agents
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedSeptember 17, 2024
SpeciesCulex pipiens/restuans
QuadrantHyde Park
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 20, 2024
SpeciesCulex pipiens/restuans
QuadrantEast Boston
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 13, 2024
SpeciesCulex pipiens/restuans complex, culex salinarius
QuadrantHyde Park, Mattapan, Brighton, Allston, South Boston
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedJuly 26, 2024
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex, ochleropatus japonicus
QuadrantJamaica Plain, Roslindale, Roxbury, and West Roxbury
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedSeptember 7, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantEast Boston, Mattapan, West Roxbury
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 30, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantHyde Park
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 30, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantCharlestown
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 29, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantJamaica Plain
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 22, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantJamaica Plain and West Roxbury
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 15, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantDorchester and Mattapan
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 8, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantRoxbury, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Brighton
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedJuly 20, 2023
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantSouth Boston
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedSeptember 13, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantCharlestown, East Boston
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedSeptember 8, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantDorchester
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedSeptember 1, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantRoslindale, West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Hyde Park
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 29, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantBrighton, Jamaica Plain
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 16, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantJamaica Plain, Dorchester
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedAugust 2, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
QuadrantRoxbury, Mattapan
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedJuly 25, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
Quadrant Southwest
AgentsWNV
CountySuffolk
  
CityBoston
Date CollectedJuly 25, 2022
SpeciesCulex pipiens/ restuans complex
Quadrant Southwest
AgentsWNV

Spraying

Mosquito spraying happens between dusk and 11:30 p.m. on scheduled days in targeted areas of the City (depending on weather).

SCMCP advises that if people see a spray truck approaching, they should go indoors for a few minutes. Residents should close any windows that face the street during scheduled spraying. View more information on spraying.

Application to exclude property from mosquito spraying

Residents can file to have their property excluded from spraying at any time of the year. You can file electronically through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) or mail a paper form to MDAR. For questions, call Juan Carlos Gutierrez at 617-626-1723 or email Juan.Gutierrez@state.ma.us.

Scheduled Mosquito Spraying in Boston

Mosquito spraying is scheduled as needed during the summer and early fall. Mosquito spraying is subject to weather and may need to be rescheduled. Changes to scheduled spraying will be posted here. There are currently no sprayings scheduled in the City of Boston. 

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