Brazoria County Health Officials in conjunction with Texas Department of State Health Services have scheduled an aerial spray operation this week for over 108,240 acres within the County to help reduce the number of mosquitoes resulting from the flooding caused by Hurricane Beryl. The aerial application will begin Thursday, July 25, 2024 at approximately 8:00pm and continue until about 3:00am, weather permitting. If there is a weather delay, applications will begin the following night.
The aerial spray operation is being conducted in response to surveillance findings that indicate increased mosquito populations and also due to the limited road accessibility in these portions of the county. Aerial spraying is necessary to combat and control mosquitoes where ground spraying is less accessible and effective. Dibrom® is the pesticide being applied at the rate of 0.7 fluid ounces per acre.
Vector Disease Control, Inc. (VDCI), a mosquito control company operating out of Angleton, TX will be conducting the aerial spray operation. VDCI holds contingency contracts with multiple counties within the State of Texas and FEMA to provide application of adulticides on an “as-needed” basis. VDCI safely treats over 4 million acres a year to control mosquitoes resulting from the floodwaters left behind by heavy rains, West Nile virus, or other emergencies.
VDCI will be using twin-engine aircraft flying at an altitude of approximately 300 feet to conduct the aerial application. Each aircraft is equipped with an aerial spray guidance system specifically engineered for mosquito control operations. The planes are able to receive in real-time, meteorological conditions such as temperature, wind speed and wind direction. “This onboard equipment allows us to optimize the application within the intended treatment areas, while minimizing drift outside the target zone”, according to Dr. Broox Boze, Technical Director for VDCI.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires notification to the public when aerial spray operations are to occur.
For additional information and/or maps of the intended spray area please visit:
Brazoria County Mosquito Control District