Black Fly Spraying By DEP Along Delaware River Friday

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —Spring and summer are the times when residents have to deal with all kinds of bugs and pests, including the black flies.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is planning an aerial operation along the Delaware River starting at 8 a.m. Friday to suppress black fly populations.

The operation stretches from Easton to the Trenton and Morrisville Borough area, the DEP said.4

A white Bell 206 Longranger helicopter with blue stripes and bearing the tail number N660HA will be used for the operation. State personnel will oversee the operation from all landing zones involved.

It will fly low near tree top level scanning for people and boats on and near the riverbank as it releases Vectobac 12AS (a thick brown liquid resembling chocolate milk) at various predetermined locations.

The operation will begin at about 8 a.m. at Braden Air Park in Forks Township and will be treating areas along the river from the Easton area south to Trenton.

According to the Bucks County Department of Health, Helicopter Applicators Inc. will be dispersing Vectobac 12AS, which is a Bti product manufactured by Valent Biosciences.

Bti is short for Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, which is a bacterial larvicide, not a chemical, and is the only product used in Pennsylvania's waterways for black fly suppression.

The Suppression Program

The goal of the Pennsylvania Black Fly Suppression Program is to reduce adult black fly (gnat) populations to tolerable levels during the spring and summer recreational season using environmentally compatible methods.

The program involves monitoring and treatment of approximately 1,800 miles of 48 Pennsylvania rivers and streams. DEP biologists and student interns conduct black fly monitoring, laboratory identification of samples, data entry, treatment operations, and management of aerial spray contracts, the DEP said.

What Are Black Flies?

Black flies are often referred to as gnats and are much smaller than the common house fly and closer to the size of a fruit fly. Black flies do not enter buildings or covered areas in any significant numbers. The gnats have the annoying habit of swarming around the heads of people outside on warm days and disrupt outdoor activities. Swatting them is useless as they are quick to return, often flying into people's eyes and sometimes delivering a painful and itchy bite.