Mosquito Spraying Set for Friday in Buckingham Township

Parts of Buckingham Township will be sprayed Friday by the Bucks County West Nile Program, officials announced Wednesday.

Phil Smith, a spokesman for the Bucks County Health Department, said the spraying will be done at George Bush Park at Burnt House Hill and Cold Spring Creamery roads.

According to information provided by the state’s West Nile Control Program, an ultra-low volume mosquito control operation will be conducted at the park Friday to reduce high populations of mosquitoes capable of transmitting West Nile Virus. 

Parts of New Britain Township will also be sprayed.

The treatments will be administered via truck-mounted equipment that dispenses Duet Dual-Action Adulticide at a rate of 0.75 ounces per acre, according to information from the state’s West Nile Control Program.

“The application material has a very low toxicity profile to mammals and will have negligible impact to non-target insects and the environment,” a press release said.

On Monday, the Pennsylvania Department of Protection announced it would be upping mosquito surveillance in Buckingham after a recent sampling detected West Nile Virus in the area.

The sample that tested positive for West Nile was collected in Buckingham on July 23, DEP officials said.

Certain mosquito species carry the West Nile virus, which can cause humans to contract West Nile encephalitis, an infection that can result in an inflammation of the brain. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, all residents in areas where virus activity has been identified are at risk of contracting West Nile encephalitis.

Weather conditions could delay the spraying. If conditions do not allow application on Friday, it will be done Saturday instead.

For more information about West Nile virus and the state's surveillance and control program, visit www.westnile.state.pa.us