Update: This spraying will take place on Friday evening due to unfavorable weather conditions last night. The new flight is also subject to cancellation based on weather conditions.
A large area of Miami will be treated with an aerial spraying of the insecticide naled this evening at 8 p.m. as “a result of high trap counts [of mosquitoes] and nuisance complaints from residents in the area,” according to a release from Miami-Dade County Solid Waste Management Mosquito Control and Habitat Management Division.
The areas are outlined in the Miami Herald’s map down below but entail Homestead, Florida City, the Redlands, West Kendall, and areas east of U.S. 1 from S.W. 248th Street to the Rickenbacker Causeway, covering parts of Palmetto Bay, Cutler Bay, South Miami, Coral Gables, Pinecrest, and Miami.
Naled, which was sprayed last summer in Miami’s Zika hot zones like Wynwood and South Beach, was banned in the European Union but is registered for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Florida. Local officials say it’s safe to humans in small doses but that individuals with known allergic reactions should remain indoors.
The controversial chemical inadvertently killed millions of honeybees in South Carolina last year and some officials warn of its potential dangers to pregnant women, whose babies could develop behavioral issues.
The county says the aerial spraying will mostly target black salt marsh mosquitos (Aedes taeniorhynchus). For more info, check out the county’s mosquito control hub.