Brevard County to Conduct Urban Aerial Spraying to Fight Mosquito Larvae On Thursday

By  //  September 27, 2016

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On Thursday morning, Sept. 29, Brevard County Mosquito Control will begin new aerial spraying to pro-actively control Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae in a pre-emptive strike against Zika virus. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – On Thursday morning, Sept. 29, Brevard County Mosquito Control will begin new aerial spraying to pro-actively control Aedes aegypti mosquito larvae in a pre-emptive strike against Zika virus.

Aerial application of the larvicide Vectobac WDG will occur in urban areas of the county where the largest populations of the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been found.

Not surprisingly, these areas also have many small containers that hold water long enough to produce mosquitoes (buckets, birdbaths, flower pots, trash can lids, toys, tarps, tires, etc).

Low-flying helicopters will treat the target areas from 1 a.m. until sunrise.

Treatments will target the numerous small water containers in these areas and the mosquito larvae inside them.

Vectobac WDG is a pesticide that is quite specific to mosquito larvae, with very few effects on other insects including honey bees. It is the best and safest pesticide permitted for use in the US by the Environmental Protection Agency and in Florida by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences for treating areas that produce large populations of Aedes aegypti.

While it is not necessary to take any special precautions during aerial spraying activities, Brevard County strongly encourages all residents to cover, drain and/or treat standing water in order to stop this mosquito from reproducing where you live or work.

The mosquito control flights will take place in the urban centers of Palm Bay, Melbourne, Satellite Beach, Rockledge, Cocoa, and Titusville. While there have been no locally transmitted Zika virus cases in Brevard, infected people will continue to visit, so aerial applications will pro-actively reduce the risk of Zika taking hold here or spreading locally.

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For more information and frequently asked questions on Bti, the active ingredient in Vectobac WDG, CLICK HERE

Brevard County residents who wish to report a mosquito nuisance should call 321-264-5032 for North Brevard or 321-952-4523 for South Brevard.

Information on the County’s Mosquito Control program is available at http://www.brevardcounty.us/MosquitoControl/Home.