At the end of last summer, Stapleton residents were hammered by mosquitoes, and the beginning of this summer has been more of the same. Last August, it was so bad you really couldn’t take your kids to the park in fear they would be bitten hundreds of times. Sprays seem ineffective against the millions of swarms of annoying insects. Some say it has to do with the pooling of water in Stapleton, or the standing water at Bluff Lake and Westerly Creek. However, many believe that the City and County of Denver have done a poor job of controlling the population.
“Didn’t they used to spray for this,” asks resident Kevin Farrell. “I don’t remember things being this bad five or ten years ago. It has been ridiculous the last couple of years.” In fact, the city has not been spraying for the mosquitoes and will not spray any pesticides unless it is a public health emergency. “Have they spent any time in Stapleton?” asks Farrell. “When you can’t go on a walk without getting 20 bug bites, I would say that is a public health emergency.” The Stapleton MCA is doing their part, but needs the city to buy in before being able to spray any pesticides to kill the adult mosquitoes.
That’s where the King Soopers comes in. If the community agrees to stop attempting to block the King Soopers from coming into Stapleton, the city will allow pesticides to be sprayed to kill adult mosquitoes, at the expense of King Soopers. “It is really a win-win for the city,” says Blake Bell, Denver Department of Environmental Health representative. “We get the tax dollars from King Soopers, and we don’t have to pay for the spraying of the mosquitoes. Oh, and the residents no longer have to worry about their kids getting West Nile virus.”
Most residents have reluctantly agreed to these terms. “Of course, I’m not psyched about King Soopers coming in,” said resident Doug Fecht. “But, I would rather be able to spend time outside than be shut inside because of the mosquitoes.” The agreement states that King Soopers will pay for all mosquito repellant in Stapleton for a 25 year period. “The agreement will serve the city well, as well as the residents and King Soopers,” said Bell. “We now move forward to the groundbreaking event for the Eastbridge King Soopers. And, it should be a beautiful, mosquito-free day.”
If you are interested in signing the petition to control the Stapleton mosquito population, click here.
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