Chris Horton of the county mosquito spraying program told the Parks Commission high populations of the pests are expected this year.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A very wet spring has set the stage for high mosquito populations this year, and the Berkshire County Mosquito Control Project is hoping to reduce the risk of viral infection through pesticide spraying both in public parks as well as residential areas.

 

Mosquito levels are expected to reach the threshold levels for spraying by next week, control Director Chris Horton told the Parks Commission this week, and the project is working with the city's Board of Health to target eradication efforts in local parks and conservation areas as well as select residential streets. Applications for exemption for this year were due March 31. 

 

"We treat in the middle of the night, so the parks would be closed," said Horton. "We wouldn't be impacting any residents or residential activity."

 

Horton said the current system of chemical adulticide used leaves little or no residue, dissolving in a maximum of 24 hours.  

 

As in other parts of the county that are part of the control project, notifications will be made to neighbors when applications of the mosquito toxin will be conducted in their areas. All requests for areas to be sprayed by the mosquito control agency must be approved by the Board of Health before they can be conducted.  

 

Areas of the city are considered to be high risk regions for dangerous mosquito borne infections, after the presence of both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encaphalitis were discovered in Pittsfield in 2012. Twenty-nine insects tested positive for West Nile, which one area resident contracted, and two mosquitos were found with the deadly EEE virus. 

 

"Virus activity is likely to occur again here this summer," said Director of Health Gina Armstrong.

 

Horton sought access from the Parks Commission to be able to get the spraying truck into various public spaces, some of which are gated and locked at night.  Pittsfield has a total of 33 city park, recreational and conservation spaces which include hundreds of acres of forest, lakes, ponds, and various wetland areas.  

 

"I don't see where we have any choice," said commission chairman John Herman.  Commissioner Clifford Nilan motioned to approve their request for access pending approval of specific applications by the Board of Health.