Mosquito Control

Mosquito spraying in St Leonard Shores is done by an agency of Calvert County. Information on this program is available on the Calvert County website, at http://www.co.cal.md.us/index.aspx?nid=111. The County subsidizes the spraying; the cost to the Association has been running about $300-400 per year.

Some of the important facts are:

• Any resident can opt out.  No property is to be sprayed if the owner/resident does not wish it.
• No spraying is done when winds exceed 10 mph.  The effectiveness of the spraying as done by the county disappears in about 300 feet.  In St Leonard Shores, with its large lots, effective spraying requires going down driveways, where possible and permitted by the residents.
• The spray equipment is calibrated to ensure insecticide applications at rates in accordance with EPA regulations.  Permethrin is used for adult mosquito control.    The Calvert County website states that: “This insecticide has a low toxicity to people and other mammals and breaks down quickly in the environment. As it is … toxic to bees, applications are made after most bees have stopped foraging for the day.”  In fact all the spraying is done in the late evening, usually after dark.  This chemical appears to be safe for mammals; it has been used in mosquito-repellant clothing for many decades.  An internet search suggests that it is non-toxic for dogs, and only the highly concentrated anti-flea direct application is toxic for cats.  One of our residents has been using it for many years when washing down their horse.

The County runs the program with essentially three options:

• The default option is that the county will spray the street in front of your property. This will happen unless you act to change it.
• Less: The County will not spray the street in front of your property or within 300 ft your property
• More: The County will spray the street, and will also spray down your driveway. The driveway must be at least 100 feet long, and have room for the truck to turn around at the end.  This service is also done only at the driver’s discretion.

For either of the non-default options, you must fill out a form, sign it, and return the original to the Association’s liaison with the county by end of March.  S/he will assemble all the forms, add a map and other information required by the County (including your name, address, and phone number), and submit it to the County by a date in early April requested by the County.  To make this as easy as possible, the Association has included the blank forms under the SLSA Documents-Miscellaneous Docs link on our website. The forms have the liaison's Address for where the original forms are to be sent if you want either of the two non-default options.  This must be done every year; your choice does not carry over from year to year.

 There are usually a few residents who opt out, 25 to 30 who choose to have their driveways sprayed, and about 80 who choose the default of spraying the street. If you are maintaining a bee colony or planning to start one on your property in 2024, you need to submit the Exemption Request form to reduce the chances of it being adversely affected.

The liaison in the 2024 season is Bill Lang, who would be happy to answer any questions.  His contact info is 410-474-2484 or [email protected]. Return forms to his address at 7330 Stones Court, St. Leonard, MD 20685 or drop in his mailbox after the post office has delivered the mail.