Health

State Conducts Air Attack On Spring Mosquitoes

BEDFORD, Mass. (WBZ) ― The state is getting a jump start on the battle against mosquitoes. On Thursday, several helicopters took to the air, attacking the potentially dangerous summertime pest.

Crews are targeting a large section of Middlesex County that could be a breeding ground for the mosquitoes.

Loaded up with a special pesticide, three helicopters took to the skies over western and northwestern suburbs of Boston Thursday, dumping about 13,000 pounds of pesticides over 2,600 acres of wetland.

The state's air attack began a week earlier than is typical in past years because tests found more mosquito larvae than usual.

The pesticide targets spring mosquitoes, which are a nuisance but are not the kind that cause EEE or West Nile Virus.

"Those diseases usually come out in August or September, occasionally late July," said David Henley with the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project. "But those are a different breed of mosquitoes."

There were no cases of EEE in Massachusetts last year, but six cases of West Nile were reported. None of those cases were fatal.

Officials said the pesticide used Thursday is actually a bacteria that is classified as non toxic, so it poses no threat to residents or animals in the area.

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