Mosquito Spraying to Begin Monday Evening, September 9

Thank you to the 100 neighbors in the Sterling Area who showed up Saturday afternoon for the briefing on Malaria.

Bruce Tolluck asked for the county to encourage HOAs to take preventive measures and the county agreed to write and suggest HOAs privately contract pest control services to spray for mosquitoes. School Board member John Andrews advocated spraying the wetlands along the Potomac River, which is not planned at this time, and the crowd broke into spontaneous and sustained applause.

On Saturday, I asked the county to provide a special link on the homepage on Malaria and Dr. Goodfriend, the director of the Loudoun County Health Department, agreed that was a good suggestion and promised to have it up "today" at www. loudoun.gov.

I said I support the immediate efforts to kill these adult bugs quickly. There was a lengthy discussion about the procedure and I am convinced there is no danger and that only the bugs will be effected.

Dr. David Goodfriend announced on Saturday that the spraying of pesticide to kill adult mosquitoes in the Cascades/Sugarland Run area will begin Monday evening, September 9, 2002.

The spraying will begin at dusk on Monday evening and continue until about 1:00 a.m. within a radius of approximately one mile of the Sugarland Run Community Center, principally north of route 7 (Leesburg Pike).

Loudoun County has contracted with Clarke Mosquito Control to conduct the spraying, using the pesticide Anvil. Dr. Goodfriend said that Anvil is a very safe product that has been used for many years for mosquito control. Residents are advised that they and their pets should stay indoors while the spray trucks pass by. The mosquito abatement trucks will be accompanied by a Sheriff's vehicle to alert residents that the trucks are coming.

Malaria is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. Dr. Goodfriend said that the decision to spray Anvil was made to reduce the adult mosquito population, so as to help prevent any potential spread of malaria.

For more information about malaria, call the Loudoun County Health Department, 703-771-5936. For information about the spraying of Anvil, call Clarke Mosquito Company Monday through Friday at 703-234-5309.

Thank you to the news media for spreading the message.