Mosquito Spraying In Shrewsbury Begins: See 2023 Schedule

SHREWSBURY, MA — The Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project will begin pesticide spraying in residential areas to control the disease-carrying bloodsuckers starting after Memorial Day.

The first month of applications in Shrewsbury will take place on May 31 and June 6, 13, 21 and 27 at various locations around town. The CMMCP releases a list of likely spraying locations during spraying days around 3:30 p.m. Check the locations here.

The June applications will only being the summer spraying season. CMMCP will be back out in the area over July and August, but schedules for those months have not been released yet.

The CMMCP uses a product called Zenivex E4 to kill adult mosquitoes. Residents can also opt out of spraying if desired. Separately, the CMMCP applies biological pesticides across wetland areas in spring to kill mosquito larvae. Those products use a bacterium that destroys the mosquito larvae.

Officials say the pesticides used to control mosquitoes pose a low risk of harming humans and pets. But the mosquito control project still advises people to remain indoors, close windows and doors turn off window air conditioners and fans. Residents should allow between 15 and 20 minutes to pass after the spraying truck leaves before going back outside.

Adult mosquitoes carry diseases like Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus. EEE cases spiked in 2019; two human cases were detected in 2020 and none in either 2021 or 2022 — although the state did find mosquitoes positive for the virus in 2021. West Nile has been the bigger threat over the last few summers, with nine cases in 2021 and eight in 2022.

As of this week, the state had not begun publishing risk maps for either WNV or EEE.