By: Sharon Aron Baron
A portion of the City of Tamarac along with four other cities will be receiving a preventative spray treatment to reduce mosquitos and their breeding sites.
The recent heavy rains in Broward are prompting the need for the Mosquito Control Section to spray some areas of the County to reduce the mosquito larvae population. The mosquito being targeted is the Aedes Aegypti, the mosquito known to carry and transmit the Zika virus.
Residents and business owners are being urged to survey their property to remove any standing water to prevent mosquito breeding, bites and diseases.
The Mosquito Control Section will perform preventive truck larviciding between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m, weather permitting, between September 5 and September 15, 2017 in some areas of Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Hollywood, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Margate, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach, Wilton Manors and the eastern portion of Tamarac (see map). More specific spray schedule information can be found here.
The spraying of larvicide using trucks is a proactive measure. There are still no active transmissions of the Zika virus in Broward County. The areas chosen for spraying are based on a number of factors including requests from the Florida Department of Health, population density, and the number of women of childbearing age in the community.
The mosquito larvicide to be used is VectoBac WDG. The active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti, strain AM6552), a naturally occurring, biodegradable bacterial mosquito larvicide which is not harmful to humans, pets, bees, aquatic habitats or environmentally sensitive areas. It is certified by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and is registered for use by the US Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, VectoBac WDG has been reviewed by the World Health Organization and is listed as a recommended formulation for control of mosquito larvae.
People living in the area who have registered with the State will be alerted prior to spraying will be notified.
In addition to this truck larvicide spraying, the Broward County Mosquito Control Section continues to work closely with the Florida Department of Health and Code Enforcement partners in Broward’s 31 municipalities to eliminate mosquitoes and their habitats.
