The recent rainy weather has re-established mosquito breeding sites and in order to better protect the community and environment, the Orange County Mosquito & Vector Control District (OCMVCD) has initiated plans to apply mosquito larvicide via helicopter to different locations throughout the City of Orange and Villa Park in areas that can not be treated by hand.
The treatment will take place on Wednesday, April 12, 2017, weather permitting.
The treatment sights are not over any residential properties and all of the sites are breeding a large number of mosquitos that vector West Nile Virus. The helicopter will be flying at the height of 200 feet during the treatment and all sites will be treated within two hours.
It should be noted that this is not an adulticide (treatment to kill adult mosquitoes) treatment. The product to be used is Vectobac G containing Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Bti is a biological (naturally occurring) bacterium found in soils. It contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target and only affect the larvae of the mosquito, blackfly and fungus gnat. Bti is used to kill developing mosquito larvae by being applied to standing water where those larvae are found, thus preventing them from completing their life cycle and becoming vectors as adults. This product is utilized daily by OCMVCD staff in treating swimming pools, ponds, and other areas of standing water. Additionally, Bti has no toxicity to people and is approved for use for pest control in organic farming operations.
If you would like more information on this upcoming treatment, please see the
memo and site maps from OCMVCD of the areas that will be treated. You can also call OCMVCD at (714) 971-2421.