Mosquito Spraying Stopped in Hays County TX
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Mosquito Spraying Stopped in Hays County TX
Date:
Wed, 7 Aug 2002 07:33:38 -400
From:
Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization: Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)
To: Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide
Regulation
cc: Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov
Mosquito Spraying Stopped in Hays County TX
This morning (August 6, 2002) the voices of reason prevailed at the County Commissioners Court in San Marcos, TX. The Hays County Commissioners voted to put their first mosquito spray program, initially approved two weeks before, on hold while they begin an intensified mosquito surveillance, monitoring, education, and prevention program. Commissioner Susie Carter, who made the motion, called it "a no spray policy now." In addition, the Wimberley Valley was declared a no-spray zone and it was agreed that in the future, no spraying could be done without written approval of the Commissioner in whose Precinct the spraying is proposed. In any case it was agreed that there would be no "spray on demand," that if they ever sprayed there would have to be "surveillance, monitoring and a number of steps beforehand." The Commissioners asked for the County Code Enforcement Officers to be especially mindful of potential mosquito breeding opportunities, especially the presence of old tires.
Precinct 4 Commissioner, Russ Molenaar, who first proposed the purchase of 3 spray rigs and the synthetic pyrethriod Aqua-Reslin, announced that he is putting together a committee of knowledgeable people in his Precinct to "come up with organic types of eradication." He said he has lots of volunteers. He also said that after he read the mosquito educational material provided by his constituents, he personally went out and collected all the old tires on his property. Aqua-Reslin contains Permethrin with the synergist Piperonyl Butoxide and petroleum distillates.
Roy Burton of the Texas Department of Health Vector Control stated that TDH is advocating an Integrated Pest Management approach to mosquito control. In IPM you have to have knowledge of what you are trying to control – you have to have a control plan, know what your target is and work on the weaknesses of the target. In Texas only the Culex (Southern House) mosquito has been found to carry West Nile and other mosquito borne disease. The Culex mosquito breeds in artificial containers and polluted water, especially water polluted with sewage. This is why eliminating standing water in urban and suburban areas is so important. Water filled trays under flower pots are a particularly important breeding site. The Culex mosquito is found around people’s houses, travels ˝ to 2 ˝ miles, is active only from dusk to dawn. If infected Culex mosquitoes do hatch out (due to non-compliance with the prevention program) spraying to reduce the population of infected females may be merited. The Texas Department of Health is prepared to identify samples of Culex larvae or adult mosquitoes (dead or alive.) They can test for virus in mosquitoes but the mosquitoes must be alive. Burton said that there is no point in spraying rural land.
According to Burton, there are 84 mosquito species in Texas. Some don’t feed on humans at all. The Culex prefers to feed on birds. You see West Nile infection in Blue Jays here (in the South) and crows in the North. West Nile affects over 100 species of birds but you normally will not find dead smaller birds like finches because fireants will eat them before they are found. Dead birds can be taken to TDH to see if they were infected with West Nile – but they must be fresh. TDH will not take birds that have been dead long enough to be stiff.
Commissioner Susie Carter read into the record a letter from Dr. David Bowles, a PhD at Lackland Air Force Base which said that there is a need for careful surveillance before any spraying is done. He said that the Aedes species (the common nuisance mosquito) cannot be controlled by spraying and there is no merit in spraying for them. The best control is for everyone to take personal responsibility to eliminate standing water.
Hays County is located in the Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio. Its population is about 100,000. Most people who live there cherish its clean air and water and love its natural beauty. Over 500 residents signed petitions and no-spray requests that were presented to the County Commissioners.
Susan Pitman hesolutions@earthlink.net
Huzzah Hays County Texas! Steve
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