Doylestown Residents Protest Mosquito Spraying

News that a pesticide was going to be sprayed in Doylestown Borough Thursday night did not sit well with some residents who live near the areas to be sprayed.

The Bucks County Department of Health that technicians would be spraying a pesticide to kill adult mosquitoes in Doylestown found to be carrying the West Nile Virus.

The spray was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday night, but several residents tried Thursday afternoon to get borough leaders to postpone it.

The spray went ahead as scheduled, but borough manager John Davis said Thursday afternoon that Doylestown leaders would discuss the issue and decide whether to opt out of future sprays.

"I agreed to forward the issue of continued participation in the program to our EAC," Davis said, adding that the Environmental Advisory Council would listen to the county health department, as well as residents who support or oppose the spraying.

The county health department decided to spray the adult mosquitoes in Doylestown after mosquito samples taken around town tested positive for carrying West Nile Virus. At least 25 mosquitoes in a monitoring trap must be found to be carriers for the spray to be recommended in Bucks, said Phil Smith, the head of the county's West Nile eradication program. That threshold dropped from 50 positives after a Bucks County woman contracted West Nile in August.

But some residents questioned whether the pesticide is safe or effective.

Kelcey Meadows spent much of the past few days calling and emailing local officials to find out more about the pesticide and the decision-making process that led to the spray in Doylestown.

She questioned whether the pesticide will kill only mosquitoes or if it is toxic to animals that eat mosquitoes, such as frogs, birds and bats.

Meadows also was concerned about the application of pesticides on private property.

"I personally don't think that the health department should be able to force these types of decisions on the public without us having the option to opt out as a household or community, or at least be informed of how to mitigate risks of exposure to such toxins," she wrote Thursday to Doylestown leaders in an email forwarded to Doylestown Patch.

Steph Walker, of Meadow Lane, also asked that the spray be postponed so residents can learn more about the implications. She questioned whether the statistical risk of contracting West Nile justified any risks that might be posed by the application of the pesticide.

The specific pesticide being used in Bucks County is called Masterline Kontrol 4-4. It is widely used in mosquito-control programs across the country.

Officials have said it kills only pests such as mosquitoes, black flies and gnats, not beneficial bugs. They also said it is not harmful to animals or people and no precautions need to be taken during a spray.

The product's Material Data Safety Sheet, which is required under federal law, says its toxicity is "considered to be low" if it is absorbed through the skin, swallowed or inhaled. The sheet also says the chemical's cancer-causing potential is "extremely weak or nonexistent."

While some Doylestown residents are concerned about the application of the chemical, others have called the health department requesting sprays.

And at least one person was pleased when she saw the truck-mounted sprayer making its way down her Doylestown street Thursday night.

"As long as it is safe, I wish they would have done it sooner," Anastasia Przybylski said on Twitter, adding that she was "grateful" the county was conducting the spray.

Other Bucks County municipalities that have been sprayed this summer to kill West Nile-carrying mosquitoes include Buckingham, Warrington, Warwick, Lower Southampton, Bensalem and more.

Learn More:

Click here to review Masterline Kontrol 4-4's full Material Data Safety Sheet.

Click here to visit the EPA's website dedicated to pesticide issues.

Click here to visit Pennsylvania's West Nile control program website.