NYC Spraying Pesticide Again

[PhilDernerJr]

The city has began spraying larvicide in parts of Queens following a few people in Staten Island who were diagnosed with West Nile Virus.

I was playing hockey at a local outdoor rink this evening when police and the Parks Department told us to leave during spraying. I have no problem with leaving, because the last time they sprayed back in 1999, it made me sick as a dog for weeks. This is because I was underneath the spray of an old M*A*S*H-style chopper that was spraying it near Flushing Airport. Notice of their spraying back then was only a couple hours in advance, and anyone that didn't go home to watch the 5 o'clock news missed out. I watched this cool chopper above me from the Target parking lot for 30 minutes breathing it in with no idea. After that, I was out of commission for 3 weeks, as were many other people that I knew.

Again, it seems, there was little notice of the spraying. Did anyone see this in the mainstream news? This kinda thing should be HEAVILY publicized, because no one should be breathing it in. I understand the need for it, but spraying isn't the kinda of thing that gets put in a small article 20 pages into the Daily News. People should know about this in advance.

One thing to point out is that since 1999, I barely saw any mosquitoes around here in any summer over the past 9 years....until this one. Everyone I know has been getting eaten alive. I guess it took a long time for the general insect population, and the general ecosystem, to recover from all that spraying.

It's an unfortunate thing that I think we do need, but I hope you folks can avoid it if you can.

[Matt Molnar]

I saw something in the paper about spraying in random woody areas of the city a couple weeks ago, nothing recently though. Didn't hear anything on the radio either. They have been spraying every summer, just not as widely as when West Nile was first discovered. I've definitely noticed a lot fewer bugs of all sorts since then...lightning bugs, butterflies, cicadas, moths, and mosquitoes, all way less than before, though I have noticed a lot more of all of them this summer. The several mosquito bites I have right now are testament to that, the most I've gotten here in Queens in many years.

[Gerard]

> This is because I was underneath the spray of an old M*A*S*H-style chopper that was spraying it near Flushing Airport.<

Bell 47. Is that what they were using today?

[PhilDernerJr]

No, it was a truck today. They would use the Bell 47 at Flushing Airport because it's a large area of land that is mostly not inaccessible by vehicle.

[lijk604]

They've been spraying on Long Island for a few weeks now, and its the same deal here. You miss the local news and you have no idea they are going to spray. I went golfing this morning at West Sayville GC, and the helo was flying low over the shoreline spraying. I had no clue, thankfully he was buzzing the reeds at about 100 feet and there was very little breeze this morning.