“Aerial spraying is faith-based disease prevention…without scientific support,” said Kyla Bennett, Science Policy Director for Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) in a complaint against the new spray program. “Spraying only targets flying adults, not the eggs, larva or pupae, meaning that many repeat applications are needed to have any hope of controlling emerging adult mosquitoes.”
According to a press release from Bennett’s office, the DPH made an assessment and acknowledged it is not possible to measure the reduction of EEE cases due to aerial spraying. The PEER document also quotes DPH sources admitting that “reduction of risk from EEE relies primarily on the use of personal prevention behaviors by individuals.”