Mosquito spraying set for Aug. 13

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced plans to conduct aerial spraying for mosquitoes in Bridgewater, Easton, Norton, Raynham, Taunton, and West Bridgewater on Monday, August 13. Spraying will take place from 7:45 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. the next morning. Aerial spraying is heavily dependent on weather conditions, and spraying can be postponed up to the last minute – so residents are urged to check the DPH website for the latest updates.

Click here for a searchable spray map. (Click here to watch a YouTube video in American Sign Language)

Residents of these communities should take simple precautions to avoid exposure to pesticide during the time that their city or town is scheduled to be sprayed:

-Stay indoors, keep your windows closed, and turn off window fans during the time spraying occurs. If your air conditioner has a fresh air intake feature, you may want to shut off the intake during the time of spraying.

-Keep pets indoors when spraying is occurring in your immediate area to minimize their risk of exposure.

-If skin or clothes or other items are exposed to the sprayed pesticide, wash with soap and water.

-If the spray gets in your eyes, immediately rinse them with water or eye drops, and call your doctor.

-If you have a small ornamental fish pond, you may want to cover it during the night of spraying.

-Following the aerial spray, rinse any homegrown fruits and vegetables with water.

Aerial spraying of pesticides reduces but does not eliminate the risk of mosquito-borne illness. All residents, whether inside or outside the spray zone, are urged to continue taking personal precautions to avoid mosquito bites. These include using insect repellent, covering exposed skin when outside, and avoiding outdoor activities between the hours of dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are at their most active.

Officials decided to conduct aerial spraying in the six towns following the recent detection of numerous additional EEE-positive mosquito pools collected from sites in Easton and surrounding communities.