When the bad air isn't enough, take some poison with that!

The air is terrible and we're struggling to breathe. Old and young, everyone has been trapped in their houses or in cooling centers for more than a week. Just as it starts too cool down and the air begins to clear a little we're keeping our fingers crossed for relief. But don't put your mask away yet, the Mosquito and Vector Control folks are about to dump poison on your heads. They are waiting with baited breath for that second where they can fly their spray planes in the clearer air to spray.

What's about to be dumped on your house? Pyrethrins and Pyrethroids. To find out more read this. While pyrethrins may be easily excreted by most mammals, they are considered highly toxic to most fish, tadpoles, beneficial insects and many invertebrates. Those mosquito fish used to eat the mosquitoes in backyard ponds? Dead...

We've written about this before when the vector control bombed our house last year. So much for the beautiful organic garden we're growing in our backyard. Our opinion has not changed much from 2007. The spray is overrated and the health risks are too high to continue after a summer of bad air anyway. In last year's post, we discussed colony collapse and other risks to insects and fish.

Vector control officials are unable to say where or when they'll spray just yet, but it's looking like Elk Grove and the Pocket will be first. If you do not want to get caught by surprise, sign up for email alerts so you can at least have a minute to bring your pets in.
Links of interest:

Stop West Nile Spraying Now
Organic Sacramento
Don't Spray California

West Nile- I'll take my chances, stop spraying my house!

My house is being bombed by a WWII plane this week. At least that's what it sounds like at 7:30 every night when the West Nile spray plane takes off. In theory, we're outside of the spray zone. In reality, they hit our house at least 3 times last night. If I can see you flying overhead and could probably hit you with a rock if I tried, we're in your spray zone.

I am not afraid of West Nile virus. Don't get me wrong, I'm sorry that four elderly people have contracted West Nile. But does that mean my organic garden in my backyard needs to be blasted with pesticides because some people won't clean their pools? I happen to be allergic to chrysanthemums, the main ingredient in pyrethrins that they use to spray for the mosquitoes. I've read the news articles that say this is "nontoxic" for humans. Obviously they weren't in my house yesterday or today as I tried to stop sneezing and coughing long enough to take some extra allergy medicine. Sure it's "virtually" the same as lice treatment for children... in what dosage? Many chemicals are fine in a small amount and toxic in large amounts with continued exposure. That seems like cheating to me.

We really have no idea how this spray affects the local wildlife. NIH says it's toxic to fish as does this study from New York. In addition, if pyrethrins kill all insects and are nondiscriminate, could we be contributing to honeybee colony collapse? I have not seen one single wasp or bee in my backyard today and it's usually covered in yellow jackets and wasps by mid-afternoon.

We've had more hit and run deaths in Sacramento County than West Nile this year. I don't have recent statistics but 2005 stats say that 102 people were murdered in Sacramento County. More than 100 people died here from heat related problems last year. And we're spending money on spraying for West Nile? I can't find any cost data but I have to believe we could put one more cop on the street all year for the price of that private plane.

Organic Sacramento has more information and ways to voice your concerns. Stop West Nile Spraying Now has data and alternative ways to get rid of mosquitoes.

My personal belief- West Nile virus cases drop because people are hiding inside from all the pesticides being dumped on our parks, backyards and houses. Not too many mosquitoes inside our suburban homes.