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Mosquito-control official says new state larvicide rules will slow treatments
Summary
Mr. Perkins told the Leicester selectboard the state issued a five-year larviciding permit but a recent rule change requires written permission from property owners before larviciding on private driveways and notification to adjacent owners, complicating timing and operations.
The Leicester selectboard heard an operational update from Mr. Perkins of the insect control district, who said the state issued a five-year larviciding permit but added new notification requirements. “The first thing, which is good news, is the state issued us our five-year larviciding permit,” Perkins said, then warned that the revised rules now require written permission from property owners and advance notice to adjacent owners before larviciding can occur.
Perkins described staffing and operational steps the district is taking to adapt: two entomology lab supervisors and a summer intern have joined the team, traps are being deployed and three new trucks are in service. He noted testing thresholds have effectively risen — inspectors must take multiple samples (described in the update from the district) before larviciding can proceed — and said the new paperwork and notification timing could allow larval hatches to occur before treatment can be authorized. He advised residents who want larviciding on isolated private driveways to send a one-sentence written permission (address included) to ocwicd@gmail.com so crews can respond quickly.
