By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Dry conditions come with their own set of perks, but the summer of 2025 has been anything but dry. South Central Kansas experienced flash flooding in early June. Up to two inches of rain was reported in Great Bend overnight on July 21, and even more precipitation fell across the area this weekend. The ugly side of all the moisture: mosquitoes. Great Bend City Administrator Logan Burns updated the city council about spraying strategies during Monday's meeting.
"After the reports we received today regarding mosquitoes, we made the decision to now spray on Mondays and Thursdays," he said. "Going forward, that will be 8 p.m. to midnight. We rotate two different chemicals on each side of town each week, and we can spray every three days with the chemicals we are using."
The city previously sprayed Thursday of each week, but the new schedule is effective immediately with another round of spraying Monday night. The new schedule will remain in place through September, when city officials can determine if the extra fogging is still warranted.
One chemical used by the city kills the flying pests while the other sterilizes. One side of town gets the sterilizing chemical and the other side gets the insecticide. The sprays are switched the following week.
Last week, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced the entire state of Kansas is at high risk of West Nile Virus due to increased numbers of mosquitoes. With the extra fogging, the public is encouraged to take precautions to limit exposure to themselves, especially those with medical issues, and pets.