Black Fly Spraying Operations Scheduled For Thursday In Bucks Co.

DOYLESTOWN, PA —An aerial black fly (gnat) suppression operation is scheduled for Thursday on the Neshaminy Creek, Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The operation will begin at approximately 8 a.m. with flights from Doylestown Airport in Bucks County to locations in Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties. The helicopter used for this operation will be a Bell Jet Ranger OH-58+ with tail number N653HA and is painted white with blue and red stripes.

Spray operations will specifically take place within the following sections of each waterway:

• Neshaminy Creek: between Playwicki Park, Langhorne, and the Route 611 Bridge in Doylestown.
• Lehigh River between Easton and Slatington
• Delaware River between Slateford (Northampton County) and Trenton, N.J.

Helicopter Applicators Inc. will be dispersing Vectobac 12AS, which is a Bti product manufactured by Valent Biosciences. Bti is short for Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, which is a bacterial larvicide, not a chemical, and is the only product used in Pennsylvania's waterways for black fly suppression.

According to the DEP, Vectobac 12AS is a brown liquid with a fish oil odor. The helicopter will fly low near tree top level and will release the Vectobac at various predetermined positions on each stream. Vectobac is not toxic to fish or other aquatic organisms.

The work does not involve a helicopter spraying over the entire county and applications will only occur on the Neshaminy Creek, Lehigh River and Delaware River. Any questions about the operation may be directed to the PA Black Fly Suppression Program by clicking here.