The District’s aircraft are equipped with Micronair rotary atomizers that produce the ULV aerosol. The atomizers release microscopic droplets measured in microns that contact mosquitoes in the air, and the material doesn’t typically make it to the ground. If it does, it quickly dissipates, especially when exposed to sunlight. Aerial treatments are mostly conducted after dark when mosquitoes are most active and other insects are under cover, such as bees, butterflies, and dragonflies.
Applying the material from the air (at an altitude of 300′) allows for treatments of areas that are either inaccessible or too large to be treated effectively from the ground. Aerial applications treat mosquitoes while they are in flight and also provide the ability to treat large populations of mosquitoes at once.
