Mosquito trucks will roll through Oak Park on the night of Wednesday, Aug. 26, for the first time this season after West Nile Virus was confirmed in local mosquitoes.
The Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District will spray from approximately 9 p.m. to midnight, weather permitting, according to the Village of Oak Park. The operation requires a calm, rainless evening with temperatures at or below 85 degrees. If conditions are unfavorable, spraying will be pushed to a later night.
Why now
The Oak Park Public Health Department confirmed the season's first West Nile-positive mosquito pools in south Oak Park on June 10. The virus has since been detected in mosquitoes throughout Illinois, including Oak Park, prompting the district to schedule its first adult-mosquito spray of 2026.
What residents should do
Officials recommend staying indoors between dusk and dawn. Anyone who must be outside should wear long sleeves and pants and apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or para-menthane-diol.
Residents medically sensitive to the insecticide should contact the Desplaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District at 708-447-1765 for options.
Reduce breeding sites at home
The district treats all street catch basins with larvicide every seven to 10 days during mosquito season and will treat private-property catch basins by request. Residents can help by cleaning roof gutters, storing containers upside down and emptying birdbaths every few days.
West Nile risk
Eight of 10 people infected with West Nile develop no symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in five develop fever, headache, body aches or rash. The elderly, very young, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems face higher risk of severe illness.
In 2025, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported 69 human West Nile cases statewide, including 19 in Cook County and 13 deaths, according to village records.
How to get notifications
Residents can sign up for spraying alerts by phone, email or text at oak-park.us/notifyme. Those without computer access can call 708-358-5694 to register for phone-only notification. More prevention information is available at oak-park.us/fightthebite.
The district has not announced a second spraying date. The West Nile threat continues through mid-October.
