Responding to the vexations of residents over the buzzing nuisances, and in an intensive effort to curb the spread of the West Nile virus, the Bucks County Department of Health (BCDH) is about to gear up its trucks and roll out a mosquito-killing operation. Scheduled for Tuesday, July 22, the department aims to dispense an ultra-low volume (ULV) mosquito control insecticide throughout Lower Makefield Township, according to a recent announcement.
These efforts by the BCDH's West Nile Virus Mosquito Control Program are both a salve to our annoyance and a serious health measure. Branded with Bucks County seal logos, the trucks will launch Duet, an adulticide with a puny toxicity profile to mammals, at a rate of 0.75 ounces per acre — a move that aims to gut mosquito populations without major environmental blowback. Their targeted areas include a litany of streets—from Sutphin Road to S. Milton Drive—as well as communal spaces like Macclesfield Park.
It's not simply a matter of swatting away these pesky insects for a moment's peace. Some of the mosquito species are vectors for West Nile virus, leading the Pennsylvania Department of Health to caution that anyone in the detected zones is susceptible to West Nile encephalitis. This is an inflammatory cerebral condition that, without due diligence, can silently ensnare the unwary in its potentially lethal grip.
In the event that the weather decides to flex its unpredictable muscles or some other unforeseen circumstance intervenes, July 23 will serve as the contingency date for the spray operation. And while the county's trucks do their part, residents can pitch in by eradicating standing water around their homes—a breeding ground for these unwelcome guests. A dab of bug spray, paired with long-sleeved garbs at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, can go a long way in supplementing these efforts.
