WASHINGTON — Mosquito spraying has started in parts of Maryland, an effort to stave off the West Nile virus.
Spraying will begin Sunday in Laurel and Monday in Anne Arundel County. Maryland Department of Agriculture is responsible for the sprayings.
Mike Raupp, a University of Maryland entomologist, says that because we are in the midst of West Nile virus season, spraying is critical to control the mosquito population. The disease is carried by mosquitoes.
“In the case of West Nile virus, which is a debilitating and potentially deadly disease, I think the benefits outweigh the risks in this case,” Raupp says.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven people nationwide have died from West Nile, including one person in Maryland.
“Here in Maryland, we’ve had four cases and one human death,” Raupp says.
The first human case in Maryland was reported on Aug. 19 in the Baltimore area. The Washington Post reports that the state’s first mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile were found in Bowie.
Several Bowie neighborhoods already sprayed this past week.
In Laurel, crews in silver and white trucks with sprayers on the back will begin spraying for mosquitoes, concentrating on Caledon, Farnham, Post Office Avenue, the Legion Area and possibly the Patuxent Gardens, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture.
In Anne Arundel County, crews will be in the following neighborhoods on or after 7:30 p.m., weather permitting: Edgewater; Glebe Heights; Londontown; Londontown Terrace; Oak Bluff; Parkwood; Pine Whiff Beach; South River Colony; South River Landing; South River Park; Turnbull Estates; and Woodland Beach.
The state uses a technique known as ULV, ultra-low-volume spraying.
Raupp says the spraying is conducted at night, when most people and pets are indoors. While the Department of Agriculture doesn’t want people to have contract with the spray, it isn’t harmful to humans or pets.
