Aerial spraying to combat the deadly West Nile virus will likely begin Thursday or Friday in the Park Cities. Spraying will take place between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. in an area bounded by the Dallas North Tollway to the west; the Uptown area of Dallas to the south; Interstate 635 on the North; and Interstate 635 to the East, if approved by the City of Dallas.

The West Nile virus has claimed 14 lives in North Texas.

Citing studies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, University Park City Manager Robert Livingston told the UP City Council on Tuesday:

• The aerial spray to be used will have no adverse health impacts on people, pets or the environment, although he said both people and animals should be indoors when spraying begins.

• Experience with aerial spraying for West Nile in cities (Houston, New York, Sacramento and Louisville, Ky) shows no increase in breathing problems due to spraying, and there is no evidence that the spray is absorbed by the body.

• To be effective, spray needs to hit the mosquitoes while they are flying and active at night; beneficial insects, such as bees and dragon flies, are not active at night and will not be harmed by aerial spraying.

• Aerial spraying will not cause problems for swimming pools, fruit trees or vegetable gardens, although Livingston urged residents to wash homegrown fruits and vegetables before eating them.

• Dallas County’s chosen product, Duet, is a pyrethroid insecticide that is a “quick knockdown” control for mosquitoes, gnats, biting and non-biting midges and black flies.

• University Park residents will be notified of spraying times through its Code Red Emergency Notification System; Highland Park residents will be notified by its Blackboard Connect emergency system.