CAMARILLO : Malathion Spraying Slated for Tuesday

Camarillo’s 16-square-mile Medfly eradication zone will undergo its fifth aerial application of malathion Tuesday night, agricultural officials said.

Weather and winds permitting, the trio of helicopters will lift off at 10 p.m. from Camarillo Airport, said Doug Hendrix, spokesman for the state and federal Cooperative Medfly Project.

National Weather Service meteorologists said onshore winds ranging from 10 to 15 m.p.h. may hit the Camarillo area Tuesday night, but no rain is expected. Hendrix said state regulations forbid the spraying of pesticides in areas where winds are higher than 10 m.p.h. or when there is a 50% or greater chance of rain immediately following an application.

Hendrix said residents living in the eradication zone should cover cars and fishponds, and keep children and pets indoors during the four-hour spraying operation.