As officials monitor mosquito levels throughout the state, the Maryland Department of Agriculture announced it would begin mosquito sprayings in a Laurel neighborhood Sunday, June 5 after high mosquito counts were found around Calendon Court off Van Dusen Road.
Spraying will begin around 8:30 p.m. and continue until approximately 4 a.m.; additional spraying could continue on random Sundays until September.
On Sunday, the Department of Agriculture's misting truck will spray along Contee and Van Dusen roads, traveling into the Wellington Estates neighborhood. Other areas identified as mosquito breeding grounds, including the Patuxent River, Main Street and the Greens of Patuxent neighborhood, will also be sprayed.
State and local officials have expressed concerns of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, commonly found in the Asian tiger mosquito.
Health officials are focusing on how the virus effects pregnant women, where those infected are giving birth to babies with microcephaly, a disorder that stunts the growth of their brains and heads.
Laurel Department of Public Works officials are urging residents to take necessary precautions to limit mosquito breeding grounds by removing or dumping anything that holds stagnant water.
Standing among front yards of trash can lids and children's toys, Calendon Court resident Matthew Smithers said he has taken the city's tips seriously after hearing more about the Zika virus on the news.
"I'm not against [spraying]. My wife and I saw on the news last night about a case in New York where a young lady had a baby with [microcephaly]," Smithers said. "Hopefully, [the spraying] environmentally safe. Other than that, I think we have to do what we have to do."
According to Laurel Public Works office manager Michele Blair, crews began larviciding areas around the city in late May, targeting mosquito larvae with the insecticide. The next step is adulticiding, which aims at adult mosquitoes.
"The Biomist, which is what they actually use, has a lot of water added to the actual ingredient," Blair said. "The reason that it has a tiny concentration is because mosquitoes have tiny bodies, so it's geared toward these tiny bodies. It's not going to harm birds, fish, dogs, cats, squirrels or people."
The mist dissipates in about an hour, Blair said, and trucks will not spray if it's raining, windy or humid.
"With all of this rain, the dynamics we're going to be confronted with may be a little different because we're going to have a lot of ponding water in many different places that, traditionally, we may not have had," added Bill Goddard, the city's director of emergency management services. "The objective is to allow there not to be ponding or pooling of water in various places throughout the city, whether it's old tires behind backyards or commercial businesses."