Black Fly spraying scheduled for Thursday

LOCK HAVEN – Clinton County government has shared word that a state-authorized black fly spraying project will be conducted over Clinton and four other counties on Thursday.

Information was shared with the county by Kristin Brown, aquatic biologist, Bureau of Waterways Engineering, Department of Environmental Protection, from Williamsport:

The Department of Environmental Protection has scheduled an aerial black fly suppression operation for Thursday May 27, 2021 on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and local streams including Penns Creek, Middle Creek, Loyalsock Creek, and Pine Creek. This operation will begin near Selinsgrove at 10:00am on Thursday and will move up river, ending Thursday afternoon in Renovo. This aerial application will include flights in Snyder, Union, Northumberland, Lycoming and Clinton Counties. The helicopter will be a Bell OH58 with the tail number N655HA and is grey with red and blue stripes.

Helicopter Applicators Inc. will be dispersing Vectobac SC, which is a Bti product manufactured byValent Biosciences. Bti is short for Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, which is a bacterial larvicide, not a chemical, and is the only product used in Pennsylvania’s waterways for black fly suppression. Vectobac SC is a thick brown liquid resemblingchocolate milk. The helicopter will fly low near tree top level and release the Vectobac SC at various predetermined positions on the river. Attached is a copy of the Vectobac label and an SDS sheet in case you would need information on the product.

Brown said anyone with questions regarding these operations or the program in general, may contact her at 570-327-3782 or email at krbrown@pa.gov.