Kairua Road residents are angered by a helicopter spraying operation conducted at a neighbouring orchard this morning.

Sharon Holmes was 50m from the spraying and says the taste of the chemical used, called Serenade Max, is lingering.

'I have a disgusting taste in the back of my throat,” says Sharon.

She acted quickly after the spraying finished to ascertain what the helicopter had dropped.

'After the spraying I went over to the orchard. At the gate, one of them was the manager and he told me the name.

'He apologised profusely, he has always been very good at letting people know.”

If Sharon had known she says she would have done things differently – particularly for her animals' sake as Serenade Max is deadly for dogs.

'My dog was out of his kennel, if I had known what it was there is no way I would have let that happened.”

She also has pregnant broodmares and she is checking with a vet about the danger for them.

There is concern for people too and Sharon was quick to get her four year old daughter away from the spray and off to kindergarten.

A second Kairua Road resident, Clementine Cuppen, also says there was no warning given about the spraying.

'It's highly toxic – we have four horses out maring,” says Clementine.
'There are people here with children and we have to go out, to work, to school.”

She sat on her back deck watching the helicopter with her 24 year old daughter when the spraying began.

'No company is allowed to spray, and that's the law, and this needs to be followed up.”

Clementine says there was also a group of men working on Kairua Road nearby at the time.

The chemical is being used to combat the Psa disease that has infected orchards across the Bay of Plenty, and Sharon says this is the first time she has seen a helicopter used at this property.

'I'm going to make these people be accountable,” says Sharon.

'To the best of my knowledge, if it's an illegal spraying they get fined.”

Keep checking SunLive for comment from the sprayers, who were not contactable this morning.