Vector control officials will conduct aerial anti-mosquito spraying via remote-controlled drones Thursday in Lake Elsinore to eradicate growing infestations that pose a potential risk to public health.
The Northwest Mosquito & Vector Control District has scheduled Unmanned Aerial System insecticide treatments on Thursday morning throughout the ecological preserve along the southeastern edge of Lake Elsinore, near Summerly Community Park.
The nearest residences are three quarters of a mile away in any direction.
Unlike with low-volume insecticide spraying from trucks, the drones have to be operated in daylight hours. Specific times may vary Thursday morning.
“This new standard treatment method allows district staff to better manage mosquito populations in inaccessible areas,” according to a district statement. “These treatments will be performed by FAA-certified pilots, who meet all safety requirements.”
No West Nile virus infections have been documented in Riverside County, or anywhere else in California, so far this year. In 2025, a total 113 infections were recorded statewide, according to the California Department of Public Health. There were 11 WNV-related deaths throughout the state last year. Riverside County reported one infection to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in 2025, and it wasn’t fatal.
Mosquitoes typically become carriers of the virus after feeding on an infected bird and can then spread the potentially lethal strain to animals and humans. Those at greatest risk are seniors and individuals with compromised immune systems.
Symptoms may never materialize, but can include fever, headache, nausea, body aches, skin rashes and swollen lymph nodes.
Mosquito season in Southern California generally spans May to October. To reduce exposure to mosquitoes, residents are urged to:
— spend as little time as possible outdoors at dawn or dusk, when mosquitoes are generally on the move;
— wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts during outdoor activity in mosquito-prone areas;
— use insect repellent;
— ensure door and window screens are fitted properly to keep bugs out; and
— get rid of standing water, aside from pools properly treated with chemicals.
Further information is available at northwestmvcd.org/, or by calling 951-340-9792.
How about spraying around the lake and in Lakeland area we are already being eaten by the mosquitoes. And we are all elderly here.