Mosquito spray seems to work; none appear ill

BY EMILY HAGEDORN, Californian staff writer
e-mail: ehagedorn@bakersfield.com | Friday, Aug 10 2007 10:25 PM
Last Updated: Friday, Aug 10 2007 10:31 PM

The aerial spraying of a pesticide over metropolitan Bakersfield Thursday night seems to have been successful, the city's top mosquito abatement official said Friday.

Actual data about the mosquito population won't be out until next week but, anecdotally, cages set up around town to catch the insects during the treatment contain dead mosquitoes, said Robert Quiring, manager of the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District.

The spraying targeted mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus.

As of Friday, 86 people statewide had been diagnosed with the disease this year, 48 in Kern County, according to the state Department of Public Health.

The spraying was done between about 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., Quiring said.

About 235 gallons of the pesticide solution were dropped over 40,000 acres, he said. That included 0.76 fluid ounces of the insecticide pyrethrin sprayed per acre.

The Kern County Department of Public Health hadn't heard of any illnesses brought on by the spraying, said Daniel Kim, director of health promotion and public information. The department has said the insecticide isn't harmful to people, pets or the environment.

The mosquito abatement district will spray again at 8:30 p.m. Monday, weather permitting.

The Kern County Mosquito and Vector Control District received $200,000 Thursday for the spraying from the $1.5 million Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger set aside to fight the virus. On Friday, Kern's South Fork Mosquito Abatement District received $16,482 and West Side Mosquito and Vector Control District received $49,567 from the state.

The pesticide kills mosquitoes only when they are in flight. The second spraying is needed to kill newly hatched mosquitoes and mosquitoes that may have escaped Thursday's spraying, Kim said.

The health department has a hot line for up-to-date information about the spraying at 868-0367. A Spanish language option is available.

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