Summer mosquito spraying under way

Dozens of communities still on waiting list

By PAMELA WOOD, Staff Writer

Published 06/20/09

Pamela Wood — The Capital Maryland Department of Agriculture employee Wayne Knight works by the light of the headlights from his truck. He works nights, checking for mosquitoes and then spraying pesticide if they are present.

Wayne Knight may not have the most desirable job in the world.

Five nights a week, he drives to neighborhoods throughout the county and bares his arms to purposely attract mosquitoes.

But if he finds enough mosquitoes - three blood-suckers in two minutes - he gets to exact revenge.

He hops in his beige Maryland Department of Agriculture truck, flips a few switches and unleashes a fine mist of pesticide to wipe out the 'skeeters.

For about six years now, Knight has been an employee in the state's mosquito-control program, which includes weekly spraying in communities in Anne Arundel and around the...

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Berlin partially correct - 2009-06-23 12:03:10

Ruth Berlin makes a solid point when she says removing standing water will reduce mosquitoes. Eliminating breeding sites is, in most cases, not practical and possibly unlawful. Maryland has over 60,000 acres of wetlands and 61 species of mosquitoes, of which only several breed in backyard containers, such as birdbaths. Eliminating containerized water is a single step in a much larger program to control mosquitoes.The effects of exposure to permethrin have been thoroughly studied. The EPA has determined permethrin, applied according to label instructions, poses no unacceptable risks to humans, animals and the environment. For more information and links to other sites, visit the Maryland Department of Agriculture website: mda.state.md.us

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mike cantwell - annapolis, md - Karma: Bad

Mosquitoes, Ruth Berlin is correct - 2009-06-20 14:50:10

If .003 pounds of Permethrin kills mosquitoes, then it also damages your child's nervous system and potentially affects his/her brain, his/her reproduction capabilities (including sperm and egg production) and potentially every organ in his/her body. Only a tiny percent of the kids will have a noticeable problem right away and other families won't believe the link because their kids didn't show any symptoms, so that parent will be ostracized and they will become a disregarded complainer in the community or they will withdraw. It happens all across the country and these people feel alone in the world. The remainder of people's kids will unlikely go unaffected, but the affects will be less, come later, not be recognized as from the Permethrin and so the official word will still be: "No reported or confirmed affects." And the respected people in the community will say "We have bigger problems than to worry about a small insignificant amount of pesticide" and they will compare it to those they use in their own yard.

There are many additional "Proprietary" chemicals added to the Biomist 30/30 Permethrin spray that are secrets of the manufacturer and often they are more toxic and in different ways than the one named.
The proprietary chemicals are NOT tested.
The CHEMICAL MANUFACTURER is the only one who tests the named chemical.
NO TESTS AT ALL are done for effects other than IMMEDIATE effects.

The government agencies, media, pesticide applicators and politicians who assure the safety of the product have no idea what they are talking about. They are simply repeating the assurance of the chemical pesticide company whose purpose is to maximize sales and profits of this product. The EPA does not protect families from poison. The EPA facilitates the use of these poisons for industry.

Here is a link to state agency opinion on toxic exposure of aerial spray that demonstrates the quality of state agency opinion that we generally trust:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_17393.cfm

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Robert W. - , - Karma: Bad