To reduce the nuisance of black flies,  Cecil County and the Maryland Department of Environment (MDE) work together to spray black fly larvae in the Octoraro Creek.  MDE issues a permit in early May at which time, the County team meets with MDA staff to identify larvae. Spraying occurs between the months of May and September in two-week intervals. Next year, Cecil County Government will be updating its permit and will be proposing a start date in April and an end date in September.

The pesticide, Bti, Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), is specifically designed for this use and will kill mosquito larvae, black fly larvae, and midge larvae. The pesticide will remain effective for close to a mile downstream. tBti has been extensively studied and is considered very safe.

To learn more about the Maryland Department of Agriculture's Black Fly Pilot Program, please visit their website: https://mda.maryland.gov/plants-pests/Pages/Black-Fly-Program.aspx.

 Cecil County residents with questions and/or concerns, should call Roads Division at 410-996-6270 or KNewcomb@ccgov.org.

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