Oxford Township and Village are taking action to combat the West Nile Virus this summer.
The township has contracted the services of the Fenton-based Advanced Pest Management, which has more than 18 years experience conducting municipal pest control programs.
The $24,200 contract calls for the weekly spraying of an ‘adulticide? (designed to kill adult mosquitoes) in Stony Lake Park, Seymour Lake Park and Powell Lake Park.
Treasurer Joe Ferrari said the Oakland County West Nile Virus Fund will reimburse the township for approximately a third (about $8,000) of the total cost.
Spraying began May 27, according to Greg Seago, of Advanced Pest Management, and residents within 300 feet of the parks were notified by the township. After the spraying is completed, an orange placard is placed at the entrance of each park to notify park-goers.
All the spraying is being done ‘from dusk on,? according to Seago, because that’s when there’s the ‘highest activity level? of adult mosquitoes. A ‘low dosage? of the adulticide (1.5 ounces/acre) is applied by an ultra-low-volume sprayer and Seago said approximately 80 percent of it biodegrades within 24 hours.
Whether or not the spraying is done every week will depend on weather conditions such as rain, temperature and wind speed, according to Seago.
Spraying will also depend on necessity as determined by the trapping and monitoring of adult mosquitoes at various test sites which will be moved around the township. Seago said the mosquito samples are ‘separated by species? and sent to a lab at Michigan State University where they are tested for West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
In addition to spraying, Advanced Pest Management will use larvicides (designed to kill mosquito larvae before they can become airborne adults), in both briquette and granular forms, in the township’s drainage ditches, storm water catch basins, low areas and stagnant waters.
The granular larvicides are naturally occurring soil bacterias. The briquettes, which will be used only in the street catch basins, are a non-toxic biological insecticide that releases over a 150-day period
In the village, DPW Superintendent Don Brantley said $1,100 worth of larvicide in the briquette form has been purchased to place in the municipality’s approximately 350 storm water catch basins.
Brantley said the briquettes will be placed in the basins by DPW workers either at the end of June or beginning of July.
The $1,100 spent by the village will be entirely reimbursed by Oakland County’s West Nile Virus Fund, Brantley said.