WASHTENAW COUNTY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Parts of northern Washtenaw County and Lapeer County are expected to be sprayed Saturday night in response to the mosquito-borne virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE).
Washtenaw County
Aerial spraying depends on the weather, according to the Washtenaw County Health Department.
Aerial spraying is being carried out in parts of the state with confirmed human or animal cases of EEE to decrease mosquitoes that can carry the potentially deadly virus. As of Oct. 5, Washtenaw County has no human or animal cases of EEE. The area targeted for spraying in Washtenaw County is within a 2.5 mile radius of a confirmed animal case in neighboring Livingston County.
A total of 365,690 acreage has been treated in the state.
Click here for more information.
Lapeer County
Aerial spraying is expected to begin in Lapeer County in the Lum area October 5 anytime after dusk and will be completed by 4:30 to 5:00 a.m.
The only area highlighted in the map below will be sprayed. About one tablespoon of the chemical will be applied per acre.
The total case count stands at nine human cases (four fatalities), and 34 known animal cases in 15 counties, according to released from the county.
Aerial spraying information:
- Mosquito professionals will apply an approved insecticide as an ultra-low volume (ULV) spray using a twin-engine plane, flying at 175 mph, at 300 ft. above the ground
- The application dosage is approx. 1 Tbsp per acre (about the size of a football field)
- Merus 3.0 is registered with the EPA and is labeled for public health use over residential areas
- In general, no short-term or long-term risks to human health are expected during or after spraying
- All other ingredients in Merus 3.0 have been approved for use as food components
- No fluorinated stabilizers or vitamin E are used in this product
- The ULV sprayers dispense very fine aerosol droplets. These droplets are smaller than the head of a pin, and drift through the air to kill adult mosquitoes.
- You may see the plane during daylight hours, but they are not spraying at that time – they are conducting aerial surveillance.
- When the treatment is applied, the very fine insecticide spray drifts through the air. It does not fall directly downward to the ground. Flight crews use wind speed and direction information to determine where to spray so that it reaches the targeted treatment area. This means the plane may fly over one area to treat an adjacent area.
Residents can find local spraying updates here.
