THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 23, 1996 TAG: 9606210175
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: 28 lines
The Air Force is joining Portsmouth's battle with mosquitoes.
A low-flying plane will spray the northern section of Churchland for the first time between 5 and 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Additional sprayings will be scheduled and announced later this summer.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the city's Department of Public Works arranged for the spraying to combat the biting pests that have brought citizens to complain to City Council over the past several summers. A similar spraying program has taken place on the Peninsula for a number of years.
The first spraying will cover an area bounded by the James River on the north, Hofflers Creek on the west, the Western Freeway on the south and the Elizabeth River on the east.
The work will be done by a C-130 Air Force plane from Youngstown Air Reserve Base in Ohio, a plane that is expected to generate loud noise at low altitudes.
The area will be sprayed with Diabrom Concentrate. According to city officials, the insecticide leaves no residue and is not harmful to humans or animals, except bees. Beekeepers should protect their hives from the spray, and people who are allergic to insecticide should remain indoors for at least 30 minutes after the spraying. by CNB