County Sprays Lagoon to Stop Virus’ Spread
- Share via
Sonoma County officials said they will know within a week whether spraying Laguna de Santa Rosa was effective in eliminating mosquitoes that can carry the West Nile virus.
“The whole idea is keeping ahead of the mosquitoes, so the potential for disease is down,” said Jim Wanderscheid, director of the Marin-Sonoma Mosquito Vector and Control District.
On Tuesday, Lodi-based crop duster Joel Dozier made passes over the water between Occidental and Guerneville, spraying what looked like black sand.
The sand is made up of tiny pellets of a mosquito growth hormone that stunts normal growth and kills the larvae before they can turn into flying adults.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.