Helicopter Mosquito Treatments Set For Babylon, Islip, Sayville Marshes

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County plans to treat marshes in the Babylon, Islip and Sayville areas by helicopter this week to control mosquito larvae, officials said.

The Suffolk County Department of Public Works’ Division of Vector Control scheduled the treatments from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 4 through Aug. 7.

Work that cannot be completed because of weather conditions will continue on the next suitable day, officials said.

Marshes scheduled for treatment in the Town of Babylon include:

• Sore Thumb
• Oak Beach
• West Gilgo
• Cedar Beach Golf Course

Scheduled locations in the Town of Islip include:

• Robert Moses Coast Guard Station
• Gardiner Park
• Heckscher State Park
• West Oak Recreation

In the Sayville area of the Town of Brookhaven, scheduled locations include:

• Grove Avenue

• Pine Neck Avenue, also known as Swan River
• Roe Avenue, also known as Mud Creek
• Hedges Creek

Several additional marshes will be rechecked and could be added to the treatment schedule as needed.

Pending locations in the coverage area include Gilgo Island in Babylon; Captree, Timber Point, Pepperidge Hall and Namkee Creek in Islip; and Sayville Yacht Club, Abets Creek and Lyman Marsh in Brookhaven.

A low-altitude helicopter will apply granular pellets containing VectoPrime FG, a pesticide that uses Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, known as Bti, and methoprene to control mosquito larvae.

The products used by Vector Control are registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and will be applied in accordance with state and federal permits, officials said.

No precautions are recommended for residents, according to the county. The helicopter will fly at a low level over marsh areas, and crews will take measures to limit drift into inhabited areas.

Officials said human exposure is unlikely and the products involved have no significant human toxicity.

For updated treatment notices, residents can call the Suffolk County Division of Vector Control at 631-852-4270 or visit the county’s Vector Control webpage.