Public Service Announcement, Per DEP

Nearby News 

Cameron County is not listed as a county that participates in this program 

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/bureau-of-labs/vector-management/black-fly/participating-counties

 

Elk County (PA) Conservation District 

 Public Service Announcement, per DEP: An aerial black fly (gnat) suppression operation is scheduled for Tuesday, May 19, 2026 and Wednesday, May 20, 2026 on the Allegheny River, Clarion River, West Branch Susquehanna River, Conewango Creek, Brokenstraw Creek, Tionesta Creek, French Creek, Sandy Creek, Sugar Creek, and Oil Creek. 

This operation will begin in Clearfield County at 7:00 A.M. on the West Branch Susquehanna River. 

The direction of the spray operation will be determined during operations and will be based on weather and flight conditions over the two days. This aerial application will include flights in Clearfield, Elk, Clarion, Butler, Armstrong, Forest, Jefferson, Venango, and Warren Counties. The helicopter will be a Bell 206L3 with the tail number N53702 and is painted white and blue and red stripes.

 Helicopter Applicators Inc. will be dispersing Vectobac 12AS, which is a Bti product manufactured by Valent Biosciences. Bti is short for Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis, which is a bacterial larvicide, not a chemical, and is the only product used in Pennsylvania's waterways for black fly suppression. Vectobac 12AS is a thick liquid that is brown in color that quickly disperses when applied to the water. The helicopter will fly low near tree top level and will release the material at various predetermined locations on each river. More information can be found here:

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/bureau-of-labs/vector-management/black-fly?