CAMARILLO : 7th Malathion Spraying Completed
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East Camarillo residents have withstood their seventh aerial spraying of the pesticide malathion in an ongoing battle to eradicate the Mediterranean fruit fly in Ventura County.
Three helicopters sprayed for four hours after lifting off from Camarillo Airport at 9 p.m. Tuesday, according to Doug Hendrix, a spokesman for the state and federal Cooperative Medfly Project.
He said the operation came off without complication, though officials had been concerned that winds over the 16-square-mile eradication zone would not drop below 10 m.p.h. By takeoff, the winds had subsided.
State and federal pesticide regulations prevent aerial operations when winds are 10 m.p.h. or higher or when there is at least a 50% chance of rain within 24 hours of spraying.
The next spraying of the malathion and corn syrup mixture is set for Feb. 7 at 9 p.m.
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