Aerial spraying underway ahead of peak mozzie season
(CNS): The Mosquito Control and Research Unit (MRCU) has begun its seasonal aerial operations over mosquito breeding swamps in the Sister Islands and Grand Cayman. The familiar red and white plane will be spraying across Little Cayman and Cayman Brac from today, 29 August, to 1 September and island-wide in Grand Cayman from 4 to 15 September. Officials said the operations will involve low-level flights during the mornings and late afternoons. The MRCU aircraft will drop pellets designed to stop the swamp mosquito larvae developing in water, which will be activated when the rains begin. The local swamp mosquitoes do not carry disease, but bite and are a pest throughout the islands, especially during the peak season of September and October.
This work is separate and apart from the bio-engineering project in West Bay, where genetically modified Aedes aegypti are still being released in order to combat the invasive bug that is instrumental in transmitting a catalogue of dangerous diseases, from dengue fever to the zika virus. Officials recently confirmed to CNS that plans are still underway for the island-wide roll-out, which is expected to start early next year and is also expected to create a range of new jobs and career paths for Caymanians wishing to enter the science field.
CNS contacted the MRCU for an update on the impact of the GM mosquitoes that have been released in the project area compared to the control site and we are still awaiting a response.
For further information about the aerial operation and daily schedules, visit MRCU’s Facebook page, or call 949-2557.
Category: Land Habitat, Science & Nature
The aircraft will be dropping pellets that contain a specific hormone that prevents the mosquito larvae from developing. This has no effect on other species. (To be fair, the headline uses the word “spraying,” which immediately makes one think of pesticides.)
Unfortunately, I believe the spray is killing certain insects that are important to our ecosystem.
Like when the last time have you seen needlecase, certain large butterflies, ladybugs … I haven’t seen a needlecase for a long time.
All the more reason to release the GM mozzies.
100% of us get our tapwater from pipes made of pvc, the most toxic plastic around, and then we cry foul over MRCU ops.
Can’t put a number to it, but everyone I know buys water for drinking, regardless where they live- New Lands, Bt, GT or SMB.
Do they buy water in plastic bottles? How is that any different?
I wonder what chemical they spay, DDT works well on those little insects not very good for humans though, that’s the trade off I guess less mosquitos more health problems for the human population
They use heavy stuff. Stay indoors if you see the mosquito plane out!
Yay more cancer for all of us and spreading the love. Oh and don’t diegetic the mutant mosquitoes nobody knows about what they will really end up doing to a person if bitten and was banned in the rest of the world except third world experimental countries like Brazil and apparently us. Yay for us again, aren’t we lucky! Deal with the known than unknown I say.
You’ve got a better chance at catching skin cancer from the Sun. Calm down.
Cancer
I believe science has the answer. If releasing the GM mosquitoes is proving to be effective, why are we still spraying???
Makes no sense to me. Let’s hatch more GM mosquitoes and let them safely eradicate the biters.
If we have the science now – USE IT !
Silly idea. I was so happy the stopped that programme – that was a disaster.
They only have GM modified aedes egyptii not the common black swamp mosquito. The latter doesn’t carry disease so no research into genetic modification for them.
Then leave them alone. They have their season and pass away. Stop spraying chemicals on our rooftops that gets in our water. Leave nature alone!