The town of Westerly plans to spray for mosquitoes Friday. Helicopters will drop granules of mosquito larvicide on about 500 acres in Chapman Swamp.
Department of Environmental Management officials say the larvicide is a naturally occurring bacteria that’s harmless to humans and the environment. It stops larvae from maturing into adult mosquitoes. Mosquitoes carrying a virus called Eastern Equine Encephalitis have been found a couple of times in Chapman Swamp according to the DEM. The spraying is part of an effort to reduce the risk of EEE and West Nile Virus in Rhode Island.
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