Residents in Anne Arundel County are due for an unexpected buzz-kill as the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), in partnership with the Anne Arundel County Health Department, gears up to launch a mosquito control operation tomorrow night. The operation is targeted at Millersville, particularly around the intersections of East-West Boulevard and Veterans Highway, a recent hotspot for our least favorite blood-sucking pests.
According to the Maryland Department of Agriculture's public notice, this isn't your everyday bug spray. The scheduled activity will involve Ultra-Low Volume (ULV) truck-based spraying, set to begin post-7:30 p.m. tomorrow. If the rain decides to pour down, they will have to reschedule to quickly protect us on the next available dry evening. Local kids looking to dodge bedtime, and anyone with spray exemptions, should note: they're putting those exceptions on pause for this operation.
In the face of these pestilent intruders, the MDA is not messing around. They're bringing out a permethrin-based solution which – rest easy – has the EPA's nod for not posing unreasonable health risks to us humans when it's used in public health mosquito control programs. However, officials are still urging everyone to play it safe by staying indoors during the spray affair.
For the folks who've got questions or concerns, MDA's Mosquito Control Program can be buzzed directly at the contact number provided. Just dial 410-841-5870, and hopefully, you'll get some answers that don't sting.
