The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) announced that the state will begin aerial spraying Sept. 10 in towns that are at high or critical risk levels for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Neighboring Stow is at high risk, so a small portion of Harvard will also be sprayed. Harvard’s Board of Health was alerted to the spraying and members participated in a conference call with DPH. At a board meeting on Sept. 10, member Sharon McCarthy said a part of Harvard is included only because the planes have to fly in a straight line. She emphasized that Harvard’s EEE risk-level is still moderate, and that the first line of defense is still personal protection.
Aerial spraying will continue for five or six nights, beginning at 7:15 p.m. each night and continuing until 4:30 a.m. It is weather dependent, and there will be no advance information available about where spraying will occur on any given night. The full spray area is available on the Massachusetts Aerial Mosquito Spray Map website at massnrc.org/spray-map/. According to that website, the map will be updated each day “to indicate what was sprayed the night before, and the remaining area subject to being sprayed will get smaller each night.”
The area of Harvard that is in the spray zone includes Withington Lane, Hynes Lane, and Hillcrest Drive, as well as most of Finn Road near Delaney Wildlife Management Area and the southernmost portion of Stow Road.
The spray consists of a pesticide called Anvil 10+10, which contains Sumithrin and Piperonyl butoxide. The pesticide is applied using ultra low volume sprayers, which “dispense very fine aerosol droplets that stay aloft and kill adult mosquitoes on contact.”
According to the DPH website, no special precautions are necessary for those residents who live in the scheduled spray area. However, it mentions the following steps that could be taken if residents are concerned: Close windows, turn off fans, and shut off air conditioners that bring in outside air. Keep pets indoors if possible. Wash any clothes or outdoor items that are exposed to spraying with soap and water.
The website also claims that there are no health risks or risks to surface water or drinking water sources expected during or after spraying. In addition, “the application is not expected to leave a detectable residue on food crops, pastures, or forage crops.”
More information about aerial spraying, including information for beekeepers and fish pond owners, is available at www.mass.gov/guides/eee-in-massachusetts.
