Paul Boehlke-KTVB

Aerial spraying for mosquitoes in Canyon County will begin tonight.

NAMPA -- Hoping to help head off a West Nile virus outbreak, Canyon County has decided to start spraying poison to kill mosquitos that carry the disease. The action starts tonight.

Though this year's outbreak hasn't approached dimension of last year when a thousand people in Idaho were sickened, health officials say they are alarmed at the number of mosquitos that have been found in the region that can carry the disease.

The spraying will cost about $110,000, and in addition to the county, cities of Middleton, Star and Parma have agreed to chip in.

Last year, spraying in neighboring Ada County prompted some murmurs of complaints, because some people weren't keen on the idea of planes spraying the insecticide.

But officials say the chemical they're using is safe for people and pets.

For complete information about mosquito abatement go to: http://www.canyoncounty.org/dsd/Mosquito/.