On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection did an aerial spray run along the Delaware River in the New Jersey counties of Bucks, Northampton, Mercer, Hunterdon, and Warren to target the larvae that grow in the waterways so they wouldn’t hatch and become the ever pesky, black fly.
According to the DEP, the active ingredient in the larvacide Vectobac 12AS, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (B.t.i.), is a naturally occurring soil bacterium and not toxic to fish or other aquatic macroinvertebrates found in the treated waterways.
The process is as follows:1
- The helicopter first circles the area to look for people on the ground/in the water or for obstructions in the air.
- Then applies the Vectobac perpendicular to the river flow in designated areas by flying back and forth across the river and discharging the material from a boom arm.
- The material is carried downriver.
- The helicopter only applies the B.t.i. to designated areas every few miles along the treated waterways.
Perhaps it’s time we add a 5th season to the four we already have, ariel spraying season.
The DEP says that products labels on Vectobac 12AS are available upon request but if you live in the area, I’d learn all you can about the larvacide and any other spraying they plan on doing this summer. And take the necessary precautions.
