Big Fly in the Sky

A low-flying helicopter hovered over Sabre Springs on the morning of April 29. Its mission was to kill mosquito larvae in three areas of standing water near the intersection of Poway Road and Sabre Springs Parkway.

The helicopter, commissioned by San Diego County Vector Control, dropped larvicide on the mosquito-breeding sites at about 9:00 a.m. The County hopes the aerial application will help keep the mosquito population in check and reduce the possibility of the spread of West Nile virus during warmer months.

“Juvenile mosquitoes don’t have wings, so they are easier to target,” says Chris Wickham of County Vector Control. The application areas are near neighborhood homes and businesses. “The larvicide we drop is an extremely safe product.” Wickham explains that the bacteria in the larvicide are only deadly to insects in the order Diptera (flies). “The only Diptera that live in the water column are mosquitoes.”