Cleveland Advocate - News
Mosquito control plan begins
By VANESA BRASHIER
The State of Texas is planning to conduct aerial spraying over the next few days until all 12 counties in the target area have been covered.
Last Thursday, the spraying began in Brazoria and Galveston counties. The other counties scheduled for spraying are Chambers, Fort Bend, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton and Orange.
When word came that these counties would be part of a mass mosquito eradication program, some people at first were concerned about how it would impact beneficial insects, such as bees and ladybugs.
But Steve Sansone, entomologist at Texas A&M University, said that most beneficial insects will be protected because of the timing of the aerial spraying, which will be from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“The impact on bees is minimal because bees are day-flyers. Mosquitoes are out at dawn and dusk. The bees will be protected. It will not permeate their hives,” said Sansone. “The poison will get the mosquitoes that are out and about at night and the residuals of the poison will dissipate in less than a day.”
Sansone said no insecticide is perfect, but the type being applied by the state — Dibrom (also called Naled) — has been used for dozens of years with no problems.
When asked about how to address the concerns of the beekeepers who worry they might lose hives to the spraying, Sansone said, “If you are looking at the safety of bees versus the safety of people, what do you want? Should we deal with West Nile or some dead bees?”
He added that unlike other states, southern Texas has not seena recent decline in pollinators that other states have experienced.
According to the Department of Health Services, the spraying will be conducted by specially-equipped twin-turbine King Air planes from Clarke Mosquito Control in tandem with Dynamic Aviation.
“The planes may be flying as low as 300 feet above ground level when spraying,” states a report from DHS.
Pet owners should try to limit their pets’ exposure to the pesticides, possibly even bringing their pets indoors. If possible, homeowners should also take measures to make their homes airtight.
According to Tom Branch, director of the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management, the spraying began on Sunday night on the southern end of the county. The northern end of the county, including Cleveland, will be sprayed Monday night. Due to press deadlines, the Advocate cannot confirm it at this time.
“The state has a map for its mosquito spraying that doesn’t show the entire county, but it covers a good portion of the county,” said Branch.
When asked about Moss Hill, Hardin, Rye and other rural areas, Branch said those are not part of the state’s mosquito control plans at this point.
To help combat the mosquito population in those areas, the county will spray on a regular basis using ground equipment such as fogger trucks.
The county recently ordered four more trucks to augment its mosquito control fleet in each precinct.
Last Thursday, the spraying began in Brazoria and Galveston counties. The other counties scheduled for spraying are Chambers, Fort Bend, Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton and Orange.
When word came that these counties would be part of a mass mosquito eradication program, some people at first were concerned about how it would impact beneficial insects, such as bees and ladybugs.
But Steve Sansone, entomologist at Texas A&M University, said that most beneficial insects will be protected because of the timing of the aerial spraying, which will be from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“The impact on bees is minimal because bees are day-flyers. Mosquitoes are out at dawn and dusk. The bees will be protected. It will not permeate their hives,” said Sansone. “The poison will get the mosquitoes that are out and about at night and the residuals of the poison will dissipate in less than a day.”
Sansone said no insecticide is perfect, but the type being applied by the state — Dibrom (also called Naled) — has been used for dozens of years with no problems.
When asked about how to address the concerns of the beekeepers who worry they might lose hives to the spraying, Sansone said, “If you are looking at the safety of bees versus the safety of people, what do you want? Should we deal with West Nile or some dead bees?”
He added that unlike other states, southern Texas has not seena recent decline in pollinators that other states have experienced.
According to the Department of Health Services, the spraying will be conducted by specially-equipped twin-turbine King Air planes from Clarke Mosquito Control in tandem with Dynamic Aviation.
“The planes may be flying as low as 300 feet above ground level when spraying,” states a report from DHS.
Pet owners should try to limit their pets’ exposure to the pesticides, possibly even bringing their pets indoors. If possible, homeowners should also take measures to make their homes airtight.
According to Tom Branch, director of the Liberty County Office of Emergency Management, the spraying began on Sunday night on the southern end of the county. The northern end of the county, including Cleveland, will be sprayed Monday night. Due to press deadlines, the Advocate cannot confirm it at this time.
“The state has a map for its mosquito spraying that doesn’t show the entire county, but it covers a good portion of the county,” said Branch.
When asked about Moss Hill, Hardin, Rye and other rural areas, Branch said those are not part of the state’s mosquito control plans at this point.
To help combat the mosquito population in those areas, the county will spray on a regular basis using ground equipment such as fogger trucks.
The county recently ordered four more trucks to augment its mosquito control fleet in each precinct.
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