| Adams County and City of Natchez, Mississippi The Natchez Democrat
8/24/03 "The best way to curb the mosquito
population – and thus, the spread of West Nile virus – is to kill the insects while they’re still
young, say many mosquito control experts.”
County employees will use Angique MMF
spreading a thin film in breeding areas which
drowns the mosquito larvae and pupae.
Fort Worth and Tarrant County, Texas
Health Department Release 8/20/02 Fort Worth discontinued its spraying program in 1991. Several reason discussed, criticizing
the adulticide spraying. Summarizing:
i.) Spraying adulticides is ineffective as many
mosquitoes are not hit, hiding in bushes,
trees, etc. and larvae will continue to thrive,
soon producing more adults.
ii) Adding harmful chemicals to the
environment can have unwanted effects to
both air and water.
iii) Thousands of Fort Worth residents with
respiratory problems such as asthma would
be in danger. Asthma and allergies are two of
the top five health problems for Fort Worth residents. The potential inhalation hazard to
the general population does not seem worth the risk of killing a few mosquitoes.
Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee City’s website Headlines
9/9/02 The city does not spray adulticides.
University of Tennessee advised such a
program is ineffective and more cost
prohibitive than other, more effective, options
such as public education and providing
larvacides for areas where standing water is a
problem Spraying adulticides can adversely
affect the health of those with breathing
problems, and small children. Spraying also
does not kill the larvae from which mosquitoes develop.
Moreau, Northumberland and Wilton, NY (Saratoga County) Times-Union 4/24/02
The three towns have switched to Mosquito Dunks and stopped their adulticide spraying
programs. Moreau dropped adulticide spraying after a softball field was accidentally
sprayed in June 2100, sending 37 people to the hospital for treatment of dizziness and
nausea. “Spraying is really a short-term type of thing,” said Wilton Councilman Larry Gordon.
“It doesn’t diminish the overall populations as dunks do.”
Washington D. C. First Case of West Nile Diagnosed Here, Washington Post,
8/8/02 D. C. officials will not be spraying adulticides, saying such pesticide spraying is
inappropriate because of the area’s many asthma patients. The announcement was
made the same day that a human case of West Nile was confirmed, and the mosquito pools tested positive for West Nile from 40
locations throughout Washington. The city will accelerate its program of larvaciding, placing tablets in more that 4200 catch basins and
pools of standing water. Also, residents are
encouraged to get rid of standing water, and to buy tablets (mosquito dunks) and put them in
breeding areas such as garden ponds and birdbaths.
Source: Canadian Coalition for Health and
Environment, see the link “Great links for more
information.”
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