Duke Energy has focused on killing swarms of mosquitoes on our area lakes for 100 years but now they are handing off the responsibility to area residents.
The company has control over the Catawba River, Lake Norman, Lake Wylie and Mountain Island Lake.
Mosquitoes breed while it’s warm in the shallow areas of a lake.
Duke Energy sprayed for the pests along those banks, and also removed logs, aquatic plants and other mosquito-breeding areas.
Duke Energy is now scrapping the $1 million-a-year program.
This will be the first year the area has faced a summer mosquito season without it.
Officials said the company made the cut to "ensure they are as efficient as possible."
Zika and West Nile are two mosquito-borne diseases that are more common in a container of standing water, rather than a large body of water.
Duke Energy wants to focus on encouraging people to try and remove these types of mosquito-breeding areas in their own back yards.
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