Palo Alto Flood Basin To Be Sprayed With Mosquito Treatment

PALO ALTO, CA — The Palo Alto Flood Basin will be sprayed with an aerial mosquito control treatment Wednesday to prevent the growth of mosquitoes that are breeding in the flood basin.

The treatment area, in the marshlands east of Highway 101, is non-residential. A helicopter is scheduled to fly over the area to apply the control treatment beginning at 7:30 a.m. and it will last for a few hours.

If present in large numbers, the Winter salt marsh mosquito species — which is currently breeding in the area — can be a secondary vector for a disease called Western equine encephalitis, which is transmissible to humans through mosquito bites, according to Santa Clara County Vector Control District.

“Current environmental conditions create a high probability that a significant number of mosquitoes will become adults in a few days if left untreated,” said Vector Control District Manager Dr. Nayer Zahiri. “This treatment will significantly help reduce the mosquito population and eliminate a fly off of adult mosquitoes.”

The treatment, which the vector control district said is not harmful to birds, fish and other wildlife, will prevent immature mosquitoes from becoming adults.

Visit sccvector.org for more information.