Black Fly spraying scheduled for Wednesday

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 Wednesday.

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

An aerial black fly suppression operation has been scheduled for Wednesday June 9, 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 7:00am on Wednesday and will move up river, ending Wednesday afternoon in Renovo. This aerial application will include flights in Snyder, Union, Northumberland, Lycoming and Clinton Counties. The helicopter will be a Bell 206 with the tail number N653HA and is grey with red and blue stripes.

Helicopter Applicators Inc. will be dispersing Vectobac 12AS, which is a Bti product manufacturedby Valent 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 12AS is a thick brown liquidresembling chocolate milk. The helicopter will fly low near tree top level and release the Vectobac 12AS at various predetermined positions on the river.

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.