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Spray Truck
| Hillsborough County Mosquito and Aquatic Weed Control
operates a fleet of eight Ultra Low Volume (ULV) spray trucks for
ground spraying of adult mosquitoes. These trucks, ranging from Dodge
2500s, Chevy 2500, and GMC Sonomas to one Dodge Dakota, perform double
duty like most of the other equipment in the inventory. During the
day they are utilized by Inspector/Spray Equipment Operators to drive
to citizens’ residences where they perform “domestic inspections.”
Once a request for service is received, an inspector is dispatched
to meet with the citizen if possible, and investigate the source of
the complaint. Often localized swarms of mosquitoes can be traced
to domestic sources of standing water of which the citizen oftentimes
is unaware. Based on the time of day the mosquitoes are biting, the
body areas the mosquitoes prefer, and first-hand observation of the
physical characteristics of the mosquitoes, the inspector can make
a preliminary determination of the species of mosquito in question,
and will search for that species’ preferred larval habitat to
eliminate the source of mosquito breeding. The inspector may also
resort to using a hand-sprayer to treat the undersides of surrounding
vegetation, where mosquitoes like to rest during the day, thus creating
a “barrier” around the residence. |
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When surveillance results, citizen requests for service and / or
health concerns warrant, the ULV trucks are dispatched at night
to spray for adult mosquitoes. The pesticide used is a Chlorpyrifos-based
chemical, formulated to be released in ultra-fine droplets, each
calibrated to be just the right size to kill a mosquito, drifting
on the wind currents until one is encountered, without “depositing
out” on the surface. These droplets are so small that one
hundred of them could fit on the head of a pin! The adulticide is
applied at .71 of an ounce per acre, and the trucks run in two shifts:
8 p.m. to midnight, and 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., when mosquitoes are most
active. |
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ULV truck drivers must maintain a high state of alertness during
their shifts, not only in order to ensure that each street and avenue
in their assigned area is covered, but also to maintain a vigilant
watch for pedestrians who may be out during these hours. The operator
is trained to shut off the chemical flow when passing any citizens
which are within 300 feet of the spray truck. The blower motor will
continue to run, but the chemical flow is cut off and no pesticide
will come out of the nozzle until the pedestrian is clear and the
driver resumes the flow. |
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