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The massive sprayings in the Houston area and in Florida are extremely dangerous and don’t work to control mosquitoes!
Using the extremely toxic chemical (Naleb) does kill a percentage of adult mosquitoes that get directly hit by the spray, but it has no effect on the eggs and larvae that have yet to hatch in standing water and other wet places. On the other hand, it does kill many other insects, especially the beneficials such as honeybees. If the same time and money were used to spray and/or drop granular Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis ‘Israelensis’), we would actually be getting some effective control of the mosquitoes. Bti keeps adult mosquitoes from being born by killing the larvae, plus it is perfectly safe for beneficial insects, wildlife, livestock, pets and people. Naleb, the current government choice, is highly toxic, dangerous to all life and does not control the problem.
For details, read the link below from EcoWatch. It covers the facts about the toxicity and the problems related to this chemical. Below that link read the info from our government’s EPA. I was delighted about how positive their coverage of Bti is.
So - why are we not using this tested, proven, safe and effective mosquito control product?
Here are some other useful resources from DirtDoctor.com:
Mosquito Control (The Wrong Way) Newsletter
Mosquito Control - The Wrong Way
The massive sprayings in the Houston area and in Florida are extremely dangerous and don’t work to control mosquitoes!
Using the extremely toxic chemical (Naleb) does kill a percentage of adult mosquitoes that get directly hit by the spray, but it has no effect on the eggs and larvae that have yet to hatch in standing water and other wet places. On the other hand, it does kill many other insects, especially the beneficials such as honeybees. If the same time and money were used to spray and/or drop granular Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis ‘Israelensis’), we would actually be getting some effective control of the mosquitoes. Bti keeps adult mosquitoes from being born by killing the larvae, plus it is perfectly safe for beneficial insects, wildlife, livestock, pets and people. Naleb, the current government choice, is highly toxic, dangerous to all life and does not control the problem.
For details, read the link below from EcoWatch. It covers the facts about the toxicity and the problems related to this chemical. Below that link read the info from our government’s EPA. I was delighted about how positive their coverage of Bti is.
So - why are we not using this tested, proven, safe and effective mosquito control product?
Here are some other useful resources from DirtDoctor.com:
To discuss this newsletter or any other topic, tune in each Sunday 8am - 11am central time to the Dirt Doctor Radio Show. The call-in phone number is 1-866-444-3478. Listen on the internet or click here to find a station in your area.
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Naturally yours,
Howard Garrett
The Dirt Doctor
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