CAMARILLO : Malathion Spraying Slated for Tuesday
Weather permitting, state and federal agricultural officials will conduct the 10th aerial spraying of the pesticide malathion over eastern Camarillo Tuesday night in the continuing battle against the crop-destroying Mediterranean fruit fly.
The now-familiar quartet of helicopters--three spraying, one guiding--are scheduled to depart from Camarillo Airport for the 16-square-mile eradication zone at 9 p.m., said Doug Hendrix, a spokesman for the state and federal Cooperative Medfly Project.
Although National Weather Service meteorologists are forecasting rain for early Wednesday in most parts of Ventura County, it was not known Sunday whether the spray mission will be canceled.
Agricultural officials make the decision immediately before the scheduled liftoff time, after conducting last-minute checks with weather service meteorologists in Oxnard and their Navy counterparts at Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station.
State regulations forbid the aerial spraying of pesticides if there is a 50% or greater chance of rain within 24 hours of an application or when there are winds greater than 10 m.p.h.
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