County To Kill Lots Of Mosquitoes Using A Helicopter, Pesticides

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County will spray aerially for mosquitoes this week in marshes in Palo Alto and San Jose as part of its annual treatment of waterways.

While anticipating a "high probability that a significant number of salt marsh mosquitoes will become adults in mid-February to mid-March if left untreated," the county at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday will deploy a helicopter to aerially treat the two marshes thought to contain large amounts of mosquito larvae with "the application of naturally occurring microbes and a mosquito-specific hormone", according to a news release.

"We follow the mosquito management best practices recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency," said Nayer Zahiri, a district manager for the county's Vector Control District in charge of the environmental treatment.

The helicopter will pass over the Palo Alto Flood Basin - east of U.S. Highway 101 and south of the Baylands Nature Preserve - and over the Zanker wetlands, north of Los Esteros Road and east of Grand Boulevard. in San Jose.

The public is urged to stay away from the treatment sites, where the helicopter will deploy an "eco-friendly" pesticide to kill winter salt marsh mosquito larvae, for at least a few hours after the treatment is finished.

More information on the treatment and maps of the sites are available at www.SCCvector.org

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