Aerial insecticide spraying to combat mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus is underway in Miami Beach.

A plane carrying the insecticide naled released the spray over the Atlantic Ocean before dawn Friday.

The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/2cL57UF ) quotes Miami-Dade County officials as saying that on-board meteorological equipment was used to measure weather conditions and calculate a flight pattern that would allow the wind to carry the spray over the island.

The next round is scheduled for 6 a.m. Sunday.

Some residents opposed spraying, citing the potential for harmful effects. But county officials say the low concentration of naled won’t harm them.

Aerial spraying targets adult mosquitoes; different pesticides for larvae will be sprayed on the ground.

Of Florida’s 56 non-travel-related Zika cases, 11 are associated with Miami Beach.

(AP)