Helicopter Bti Application to Control Mosquito Larvae

Published April 18, 2017 | East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project | Automatically Archived on 4/28/2017

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The East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project will be conducting a helicopter application of the biological larvicide, Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis), to control mosquito larvae over large wetland areas in Bedford, Belmont, Burlington, Framingham, Lexington, Maynard, Medford, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Sudbury, Wakefield, Waltham, Wayland, Wellesley, Weston and Winchester.  The application is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 19, 2017.  If for any reason the application is postponed, it will be rescheduled for the next available week day between April 19 and April 27.  The Bti will be applied in a granular formulation by a helicopter flying low directly over the wetlands.  Residents do not need to take any special precautions for this application.

The material to be applied, Bti, is a natural bacterium found in soil.  The EPA classifies Bti as a relatively non-toxic pesticide.  Bti is considered a target selective and environmentally compatible pesticide that affects mosquito larvae and a few closely related aquatic insects in the fly family.  Once applied, Bti stays suspended in water for 24 to 48 hours and then biodegrades as it settles to the bottom.  The product name of the Bti is VectoBac G (EPA Reg. #73049-10).

For further information contact the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project at 781-899-5730.