Black Fly Spraying Operation Thursday In Lower Bucks County

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is expected to conduct an aerial black fly (gnat) suppression operation on Thursday.

The DEP said the spraying will take place on the Neshaminy Creek and the Delaware River.

The operation is expected to begin at 8 a.m. for spraying 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 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.can be found on our website at Black Fly (pa.gov)