Mosquito Sprays To Hit 18 Neighborhoods In Queens

FOREST HILLS, QUEENS — The city’s Health Department will be conducting mobile mosquito sprays and aerial larvicides in a number of Queens neighborhoods in an effort to reduce the risk of West Nile virus.

Sprays will be conducted Tuesday, Aug. 8 and Thursday, Aug. 10 from 9 p.m. until the following day at 6 a.m.

Although there have been no reported human cases of West Nile virus this season, the city Health Department has selected parts of Queens based on certain criteria — an increase in West Nile virus activity as well as high numbers of Culex mosquitos that have been known to transmit West Nile virus. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Air conditioners may be used during the sprayings, but the Health Department advises residents to keep their vents closed and to thoroughly wash all items left outside during the events.

On the ground

The Health Department will spray pesticides from trucks to kill mosquitoes. For this method, according to the department, larvicides (a pesticide that stops mosquitoes from growing into adults) or adulticides (a pesticide that kills adult mosquitoes) will be used. These applications can happen in residential or non-residential areas, the department says.

In the air

The department will drop a larvicide, made of natural bacterial granules, by helicopter onto marshes and other large natural areas in order to kill mosquito larvae before they grow into adult mosquitoes. These applications do not take place in residential areas, the department says.

Who is affected?

Pesticides will be sprayed in the following Queens neighborhoods on Aug. 8:

Neighborhoods:

• Brockville
• Cambria Heights
• Laurelton
• Rosedale
• Saint Albans
• South Jamaica
• South Ozone
• Springfield Gardens

Zip codes:

• 11411
• 11412
• 11413
• 11422
• 11429
• 11433
• 11434
• 11435
• 11436

Pesticides will be sprayed in the following Queens neighborhoods on Aug. 10:

Neighborhoods:

• Briarwood
• Forest Hills
• Forest Hills Gardens
• Glendale
• Jamaica
• Kew Gardens
• Maspeth
• Middle Village
• Richmond Hill
• Woodhaven

Zip codes:

• 11367
• 11373
• 11374
• 11375
• 11378
• 11379
• 11385
• 11418
• 11421
• 11432
• 11435

For more information, call 311 or click here.

Image via Pixabay