Press Release  State Officials Announce Start of Mosquito Spraying for EEE

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) have announced that aerial and truck-mounted ground spraying for mosquitoes will begin on Tuesday evening, August 27th. State officials announced Saturday that aerial spraying would take place in parts of Plymouth County and truck spraying would occur in southern Worcester County.

The ability to spray is weather dependent, and the schedule may change. Residents are encouraged to visit the Mosquito Spray Map for the latest updates on spraying in their communities. These maps will be updated daily to reflect the areas that were sprayed the night before. Residents within the spray zones should assume their neighborhood is being sprayed until the Spray Map has been updated to reflect the areas that spraying has taken place.

Ten communities in Massachusetts have been raised to high or critical risk for the Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) virus by DPH. In Plymouth County, the Mosquito Control District has been conducting truck-based ground spraying in response to EEE infected mosquitoes during the season. Risk, however, continues to be elevated. Because of this ongoing risk, an aerial spray will be used to supplement the work that has already been performed in high-risk regions of Plymouth County.

In southern Worcester County, only the Town of Northbridge, which is at high risk, and the Town of Webster, which is at critical risk, are members of the Mosquito Control District. Those towns have received truck-based spraying to help reduce risk, but the five remaining towns have not. In this area, truck-mounted ground spraying will be used in those five towns that have not already had mosquito spraying to reduce risk. The state contracts with mosquito control professionals to operate two small aircrafts that will conduct the aerial spraying and trucks for the ground-level spraying.

DATE: Aerial spraying is planned to begin Tuesday evening, with the possibility of additional spraying another evening. Truck-mounted spraying will begin Tuesday evening and continue for additional days. Due to upcoming variable weather patterns, the timeline is subject to change.

TIME: For both aerial and truck-mounted applications, spraying begins at dusk and continues until approximately 4:30 am the next morning. If planes or trucks are seen in your area prior to dusk, they are either getting in position or scouting out the area prior to starting the spray.

WHERE:

Aerial Spraying

• Carver
• Halifax
• Kingston
• Middleborough
• Plymouth
• Plympton
• Rochester
• Wareham

Truck-Mounted Ground Spraying

• Douglas
• Dudley
• Oxford
• Sutton
• Uxbridge

For an FAQ regarding mosquito control and spraying, please visit the DPH website here. 

For questions about spraying, contact the MDAR Crop and Pest Services at mosquitoprogram@mass.gov.               

For the most updated information on EEE risk and disease, contact the DPH Division of Epidemiology at (617) 983-6800 or visit the DPH website Mosquito-borne Diseases | Mass.gov for updated risk levels, mosquito results, maps, and incidence of positive mosquito samples.

For questions about mosquito control in your city or town, contact your local board of health. 

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