910th Aerial Sprayers Battle Bugs for Marines Published Oct. 16, 2009 By Tech. Sgt. Dennis J. Kilker 910th Public Affairs PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- No-see-ums, sand fleas and flying teeth are all names for the same pest, the biting midge. These insects have been a nuisance to many Marines at Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot, S.C. Similar to the weather, everyone gripes about them but what can be done? This is where "bug docs," Majors Mark Breidenbaugh and Karl Haagsma come in. They are entomologists with the 757th Airlift Squadron at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, home of the only large fixed-wing aircraft aerial spray unit in the Department of Defense. The 757th was at Parris Island, Oct. 5 to 9, 2009, to conduct their annual aerial spray mission to help combat the overwhelming biting midge population that has plagued the area. This year, they tested a new weapon in the battle. This weapon is a new product called Duet, a two-stage insecticide. Duet's first stage is designed to excite the pests into flying, making them susceptible to the second stage, or killing stage, of the chemical. Duet was previously tested, with some success, against mosquitoes, said the entomologists. The Parris Island mission tested the potency of the product against biting midges. The aerial spray mission normally uses an insecticide known as Dibrom, which requires the mission to spray twice. The first application would exterminate the adult population; the second would destroy the juvenile population that had matured. The goal of the new product was to reduce the insect population with one spray application. For Marines at the depot, relief from the biting midges provided by the spray mission was welcome. "I hate them," said Cpl. Sara J. Hill, a supply specialist assigned at Parris Island. "They eat and they eat and they bite and they bite and when they bite, I welt." The success of the aerial spray mission is measured by the reduction of training time lost due to infection or illness by Marine recruits, said Staff Sgt. Andrew F. Causey, a Parris Island drill instructor. The recruits are not allowed to scratch bites and neither are the drill instructors, said Sergeant Causey. If a bug bite is scratched, it increases the chance that it will lead to an infection known as cellulitis. If left untreated, the infection could become life threatening. The objective of the aerial spray mission seemed straightforward, however, there were obstacles. In this case, the weather deteriorated as soon as the 757th arrived at Parris Island. According to Major Breidenbaugh, high winds rendered the results of the Parris Island spray mission inconclusive. Additional trials are planned for spring 2010 to better gauge the effectiveness of the new product.