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Should Helicopters Spray for Mosquitos in Marin?

This week the Marin – Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District will use a helicopter to spray mosquito larvae in San Rafael and Novato.

 

Some Marin residents are abuzz over plans to spray mosquito larvae in San Rafael and Novato.

The Marin – Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District will use a helicopter on Wednesday or Thursday to fog for mosquito larvae at McInnis Park in San Rafael and Deer Island Basin in Novato, according to a report in the Marin Independent Journal.

An interactive map on the Marin – Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District website (see a screenshot of the map above) also showed fogging scheduled for part of Hamilton in Novato on Jan. 30. 

According to the district’s map, the materials to be applied include Vectobac 12AS and Altosid Liquid Larvicide. According to the IJ, the larvicide includes naturally occurring bacteria Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) and methoprene, which regulates insect growth. 

Fairfax resident Frank Egger, a member of the district board, told the IJ that the board hadn’t voted on the spraying and he first learned of the spraying after getting a notice from the district Tuesday afternoon. 

Officials said mosquito larvae have been developing faster than in recent years and the targeted species are highly aggressive biters with long flight range, according to the IJ.

 

Do you support the district eliminating mosquito larvae? Are you worried about the spraying? Tell us in the comments!

 

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Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
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Kevin Moore May 11, 2013 at 04:20 pm
It would be nice if the comments section had "Thumbs up / Thumbs down" like the PressRead More Democrat.
Bob April 6, 2013 at 05:20 pm
Check with the San Rafael planning commission and get the low-down on why they turned down aRead More developer who submitted his plans to demolish and rebuild a mixed commercial/residential building at 2nd and B. That's directly across the street from SVDP, and a notorious loitering spot. It's currently a run-down box building that's long past its prime. The developer came in with a beautiful plan, and it was denied for, among other things, because it was not in keeping with the "Victorian era" of the others, and because the city was afraid people would store their bikes on the balconies. Take a look at it. It's the most run-down corner in the downtown area. A great way for a small town to thrive and achieve an identity, is to get people living there. The city makes it extremely difficult with their rigid design board, and archaic operations that remind me of private industry in the 70s. Oh, and then they approved Target - completely disregarding the data from our neighbors up north, as well as other small towns.
Scott Adams April 4, 2013 at 07:08 pm
Tim, I am aware of many who want to increase the housing density downtown. I am also aware thereRead More has been objections particularly around the bus and future SMART station. It seems having commercial use at street level and housing above is favored by the city. It would definitely help bring people downtown. Other elements besides safety, includes maintenance, on going activities and marketing. I made reference to Healdsburg which is a good case study. They endorsed a study by urban planners around 1990. It took until 2000 when Hotel Healdsburg opened and then the downtown took off. They have one big asset and that is their city park which is where they have ongoing activities. Public Spaces such as this offer a sense of place and acts as a magnet. If you go two or three block away from the park, Healdsburg is just another sleepy little town of 11,000. Sure the wine country is a tourist attraction, but according to the County Visitor's Bureau Marin has 12 million visitors a year who enjoy our natural environment and 80% leave and go elsewhere in the evening.
Tim H April 4, 2013 at 04:41 pm
Thank you all for your interest in this topic. Scott, are you aware of any new multifamily or mixedRead More use housing in downtown on the horizon? Someone in another article mentioned the need for greater density in the downtown area. It seems like greater density could make San Rafael a more attractive place to bring business. Maybe it's me being optimistic, but certain areas seem ripe for development which could be a catalyst for improving downtown. Just curious if others had any perspective of this issue.