Date: Wed, 08 Mar 2000 07:12:41 -0500
From: Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Lyndon Hawkins <hawkins@empm.cdpr.ca.gov>
State of California,
Department of Pesticide Regulation
Integrated Pest
Management
Lyndon, I thought you might like to read an article entitled: Plan to spray in Ballard for gypsy moths draws protest. Tuesday, March 7, 2000. By PHUONG LE - SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER.
State officials call gypsy moths "one of America's worst pest insects" and warn that they will eat up the state's evergreen and deciduous trees.
So when they discovered an Asian gypsy moth egg mass and one male moth in Ballard last spring, they started plotting an attack.
Officials plan to spray insecticide over 725 acres of Ballard and Magnolia on three occasions starting late next month.
The boundaries for the planned gypsy moth spray zone in Ballard and Magnolia are, on the north, Northwest 64th Street; on the east, 15th Avenue Northwest and 15th Avenue West; on the south, West Thurman Street; and on the west, 32nd Avenue Northwest and 32nd Avenue West.
But some residents hope to halt the aerial sprayings, calling them an overreaction, or hope to find an alternative. Last week, about 20 people hastily formed "The No-Spray Zone." They plan to protest the sprayings at a state agriculture open house tomorrow night.
Gypsy moths feed on 500 kinds of shrubs and trees, including apple, oak, willow and birch, said John Lundberg, spokesman for the state's gypsy moth program. He said they cause millions of dollars in damage each year, particularly on the East Coast, where they have permanently infested 17 states. (No matter how much "registered" POISON "they" continue to spray!)
Unlike the European gypsy moth commonly found in Eastern states, Asian types are more destructive because the female can fly and spread more quickly, Clinton Campbell, a state entomologist, said.
He said Asian gypsy moths present a greater threat to Washington because they feed on conifer and evergreens.
Both the Asian and European gypsy moth were trapped in Washington last summer, he said.
Officials plan to use bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki, or Btk, a biological insecticide approved ("registered") by the Environmental Protection Agency and used on more than 200 food and fiber crops.
But some Ballard residents say there have not been enough studies to understand Btk's full long-term effect on people's health.
Others want a full disclosure of the insecticide's ingredients. Lundberg said that would violate trade secrets, but said the EPA has approved (allowed) all ingredients.
Jackie Giuliano, Discovery Park manager who lives in the proposed spray zone, also questioned whether doctors are enough aware of Btk to look for connections between it and health problems that may pop up.
State health officials counter that "Btk infections have not been identified as a problem in the general public or in immuno-compromised individuals."
"It is a very safe and effective insecticide," they say. (This statement is against federal law - it is illegal to say even the labeled use of any pesticide is "safe"!) According to state officials, Btk is a naturally occurring bacteria found in soil and often used by organic gardeners and must be ingested to be toxic to insects.
But as a safety precaution, officials warn people with asthma, allergies, or other health problems, including sensitivity to dust, pollen and molds, to stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after each spraying to allow the air to clear.
Such warnings worry residents, who question whether they will have enough notification during the spraying. Lundberg said residents can call a hotline to receive a 24-hour notice.
The worries began in March 1999 when U.S. marshals seized a Russian fishing boat and brought it into Salmon Bay, Lundberg said. When the boat was inspected, officials found a mass of 1,000 eggs about the size of a quarter.
Lundberg said the egg mass was analyzed and found to be alive and viable. It was tested and destroyed, he said.
Last summer, to gauge the moths' presence, agriculture officials placed orange and lime-green traps around the state. They caught 42 gypsy moths, including one male Asian moth found a few blocks from Market Street in Ballard.
"We don't have an infestation," said Gail McCormick, a mental health professional who opposes the spraying. "They found only 42 moths."
But Lundberg countered: "It's not an overreaction to a single egg mass. There's an assumption that other egg masses could be out there." (When you assume you make an ass out of u and me, ass/u/me.)
Residents are worried about local butterflies.
Lundberg said the insecticide will be toxic to other moths and butterflies in the caterpillar stage.
Any moth or butterfly that eats a leaf with the insecticide will die, he said.
"Whatever loss of butterflies," Lundberg said, "they will recolonize fairly quickly from Shoreline or wherever.
"Hopefully we only treat this one year."
The sprayings will begin late April and come a week or two apart between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. The actual start date will depend on when the moth eggs hatch and on wind and weather conditions.
Rain, for example, would prevent the insecticide from staying on leaves, which are consumed by the caterpillar.
Officials will also spray 12 acres in the Highpointe area of Covington and 14 acres in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Marysville, where European gypsy moths were found last summer.
Alternatives to aerial spraying include mass trapping, mating disruption, release of sterile males, chemical pesticides and ground treatments.
Agriculture officials ruled out mass trapping, mating disruption and release of sterile males as ineffective or limited.
Mass trapping goes after male moths only, late in the season, said state entomologist Campbell.
"It's important to go after the first life-stages, because you don't want them to spread further than they can," Campbell said. "You cannot expect the same level results with traps alone."
THE GYPSY MOTH:
An Asian gypsy moth found in Ballard has prompted a campaign to spray for the pest. The moth, first detected in Tacoma in 1991, is now permanently established in North America. It feeds on deciduous trees and evergreens, and can spread more quickly than other varieties because its females can fly.
The European variety, commonly found on the East Coast, was brought to Massachusetts in 1869. It permanently infests 17 states in the eastern United States. Washington is not a permanently infested state.
The moth feeds on 500 trees and shrubs, including apple, birch, oak and willow trees.
Washington Department of Agriculture officials will answer questions about the spraying program at the Ballard District Council Meeting, tomorrow at Ballard High School, 1418 N.W. 65th St.
The program is not on the meeting agenda, but will be taken up at the end of the meeting, at about 8:30 p.m.
Additional information: Washington Department of Agriculture 1-800-443-6684
P-I reporter Phuong Le can be reached at 206-903-0728 or phuongle@seattle-pi.com
Well Lyndon, so much for the precautionary principle, I find the letter highly amusing because no matter how much "registered" POISON is continually sprayed - Gypsy Moths PERMANENTLY infest 17 States! It is time to find a safe and effective ALTERNATIVE don't you think?
Respectfully, Stephen L. Tvedten.
Please!
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