Medfly Spraying Plans Prompt Calls From Concerned Residents
Los Angeles County agriculture officials fielded about 30 calls Sunday from northeast San Fernando Valley residents concerned about plans to spray a 17-square-mile area with insecticide tonight. The spraying is intended to eradicate a recent infestation of Mediterranean fruit flies.
The insecticide malathion, which will be sprayed in very low concentrations, poses no health threat to humans, officials said. But they cautioned that automobile paint and outdoor fish ponds should be protected from the aerial spraying.
Helicopters are to begin spraying at 9 p.m., and will cover San Fernando, Sylmar and parts of Mission Hills, Granada Hills and Pacoima. The spraying is expected to end at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. Tuesday.
Three of the mature Medflies, which lay their eggs in more than 260 varieties of vegetables and fruit, have been found within a few blocks of one another in Sylmar since Oct. 25.
The California Conservation Corps will distribute leaflets about the spraying to residents of the area beginning at 6 a.m. today.
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