On Thursday 8/29/2024 and Friday 8/30/2024 RIDEM will be dropping larvicide pellets (via helicopter) into the Great Swamp as well as Chapman Swamp in Westerly . Larvicide is a non-toxic mitigation product used to kill baby mosquitos. It does not affect animals, fish or humans. The Town will be shutting down the the William C. O'Neill Bike Path in the area of Ministerial Road and the Train Station on Thursday 8/29 and Friday 8/30 out of an abundance of caution.
Last week, the Town of South Kingstown, as well as the Town of Westerly, had positive tests for EEE mosquitos (there were no positive tests this week). Currently there are no human EEE cases in Rhode Island (the last one was 2019) and there is one case each in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Residents and visitors should continue to be vigilant and take proper precautions to prevent Mosquito bites. More information about mosquito prevention and control can be found at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management's website at: https://dem.ri.gov/natural-resources-bureau/agriculture-and-forest-environment/agriculture/mosquito-abatement/mosquito
