Southeast Queens will be the latest battleground in the city’s war against mosquitoes, as pesticide will be sprayed through much of the area on Monday night.
The spray operation will take place from 10 p.m. on Aug. 29 until 6 a.m. the next morning through parts of Brookville, Cambria Heights, Laurelton, Rochdale Village, Rosedale, Springfield Gardens and St. Albans. In the unlikely event of inclement weather, the spraying will take place tomorrow night during the same hours.
Trucks will travel through the neighborhoods spraying very low concentrations of two different pesticides, DUET and Anvil 10+10. While the pesticides pose no significant risks to human health when properly used, the city’s Health Department advises residents in the area to stay indoors while spraying is underway. The pesticides may aggravate respiratory conditions such as asthma.
It’s the latest operation in the Health Department’s ongoing fight to eradicate mosquitoes that may potentially carry the Zika or West Nile virus. Zika is of particular concern to the city agency due to the high risk of severe birth defects in the children of mothers who become infected during their pregnancy.
While there are no known cases of Zika-infected mosquitoes in New York City, a number of New Yorkers contracted the disease while traveling to other parts of the globe where the disease is prevalent. The West Nile virus, which was first detected in local mosquitoes in 1999, has been found in mosquito samples taken from the southeast Queens area.
The southeast Queens spray zone is generally bounded on the north by Linden Boulevard, Francis Lewis Boulevard and Murdock Avenue; on the east by the Cross Island Parkway, Belt Parkway, Merrick Boulevard and Hook Creek Boulevard; on the south by Francis Lewis Boulevard, 147th Avenue, Brookville Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard; and on the west by Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Belt Parkway, Springfield Boulevard and Merrick Boulevard.
During spraying, residents should keep their windows closed; they may continue to use air conditioners, but with the vents closed. Anything left outside during spraying should be thoroughly washed with soap and water before reuse. If you are outside during spraying and become exposed to the pesticide, wash all skin and clothing.
For more information, call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov/health.
