Health Department to Drop 'Larvicide' at Alley Pond Park

The health department will be depositing "non-chemical aerial treatment" around Alley Pond Park this week in hopes of eradicating mosquito larvae, following reports that the West Nile-adled pests have been spotted in New York City. 

The "larviciding" is scheduled to take place Monday through Wednesday between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. 

The process of aerial larviciding is described by the Health Department as "dropping natural bacterial granules by helicopter to marshes and other natural areas," with the intention of killing mosquito larvae before it turns into full-fledged mosquitoes. 

This is the second time the process of larviciding has taken place this summer; the first occurred at the end of June. 

West Nile virus was first discovered in the northeast U.S. in 1999. The highest concentration of infected mosquito pools was found in northeast Queens, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

While not everyone infected with West Nile will become sick, persons over 50 years of age who may have other health conditions could develop severe illness.

The disease is also known to affect birds. But unlike years past, the DOH said it is no longer taking reports of individual dead birds to monitor for West Nile Virus because the tests had “limited value as an early warning system for the virus.”

The department will continue to take reports of groups of dead birds (10 or more of any species or three or more waterbirds). Residents can report clusters of dead birds by calling 311.

To learn more about West Nile Virus and taking precautions to avoid mosquito bites, visit the DOH’s website.