We brought you the story of a Portsmouth neighborhood invaded by mosquitoes.
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Portsmouth neighborhood plagued by mosquitoes
They called NewsChannel 3 to take action.
Today, we got results.
"I don't feel the city is doing all that we should be doing and not communicating back to the citizens is not a good thing,” says Portsmouth city councilman Bill Moody responding to the swarms of mosquitoes that have taken over Churchland.
Carol Canada turned to NewsChannel 3 to take action after her cries for help fell on deaf ears.
"When a barrage of complaints are coming in, shouldn't that be a red flag - you would imagine. Yet nobody is responding,” says Canada.
After our story aired last night, Canada says city trucks showed up to spray the neighborhood.
Any relief was only temporary.
"They're starting to increase so as the day goes by, it would be like they never even were here,” says Canada.
"I don't like it. The city should respond. I know they've been doing some fogging out here but obviously, that has not corrected the problem."
Now Councilman Moody says Portsmouth must step up.
"I think the solution in Churchland is we need to ramp it up. Fogging is not working, so let's start doing Larviciding and spraying the bodies of water,” says Moody.
He's asked the city manager for a report on how the city is responding and when another aerial spraying to combat the mosquitoes coming from Craney Island will happen.
NewsChannel 3's investigation shows that it hasn't happened since July 2.
Late Thursday afternoon, Vice Mayor Charles Whitehurst sent City Manager Kenneth Chandler an email with the subject line, "It's your Job."
In it, he blasts the city manager, saying the mosquito problem is so bad that "I am beginning to believe mosquitoes have taken over and we need to declare Churchland a disaster area."
He goes on to say the excuses offered for why planes haven't sprayed since July 2 are "extremely weak."
Folks like Carol Canada are now hopeful that something will actually be done to free them from the mosquito problem.
"It is my greatest desire and wish that it will and I'm just eternally grateful to NewsChannel 3, eternally grateful," says Canada.
More Info:
If you need help, call the NC Department of Natural Resources at 1-877-623-6748.
