poison truck making its rounds in Pt Washington

I disagree. I can choose to help educate people on what is being done regarding the continuous blanket spraying of poisons, until one day, enough people come together to force the County to change their ways. If every tourist which came to the area was aware of the spraying of poisons all over SoWal, they might have a little concern. ;-)

Yes, being an advocate for something you don't think is right for you is important.

I just doubt that we will see spraying go away. I don't think mosquito control should ever go away for obvious reasons but I would join a cause advocating a more natural alternative to control.

Most tourists visiting our area have Mosquito control as well so I think for most it's a non-issue - just part of it. Heck, I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and even they spray during the summer!

As of last check it is permethrin:

Permethrin Pyrethroid insecticide and neurotoxin.[36] Permethrin is classified as a carcinogen by EPA because it causes lung and liver tumors in mice. Furthermore, the insecticide is hazardously toxic to honey bees and other beneficial insects, fish, aquatic insects, crayfish and shrimp.[37] In part because of its extreme aqua-toxicity, permethrin is an EPA restricted-use pesticide.[38] http://www.panna.org/campaigns/caia/corpProfilesBASF.dv.html

Permethrin is a Pyrethroid compound. Report a Poisoning
Symptoms of Poisoning with Pyrethroid Compounds Find Products Containing this Chemical
- Irritation of skin and eyes.
- Irritability to sound or touch, abnormal facial sensation, sensation of prickling, tingling or creeping on skin, numbness.
- Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation, fatigue.
- In severe cases: fluid in the lungs and muscle twitching may develop. Seizures may occur and are more common with more toxic cyano-pyrethroids.

Acute Toxicity 2
WHO Acute Hazard
TRI Acute Hazard
Material Safety Data Sheets
Acute rating from U.S. EPA product label
U.S. NTP Acute Toxicity Studies
View Studies
Cholinesterase Inhibitor II, Moderately Hazardous
Endocrine Disruption
Illinois EPA list Suspected
Keith list Not Listed
Colborn list Yes
Benbrook list Yes
EU list
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC35397


The insecticide permethrin (in the synthetic pyrethroid family) is widely used on cotton, wheat, corn, alfalfa, and other crops. In addition, over 100 million applications are made annually in and around U.S. homes.

Permethrin, like all synthetic pyrethroids, is a neurotoxin. Symptoms include tremors, incoordination, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior, and disruption of learning. Laboratory tests suggest that permethrin is more acutely toxic to children than to adults.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified permethrin as a carcinogen because it causes lung tumors in female mice and liver tumors in mice of both sexes. Permethrin inhibits the activity of the immune system in laboratory tests, and also binds to the receptors for a male sex hormone. It causes chromosome aberrations in human and hamster cells.

Permethrin is toxic to honey bees and other beneficial insects, fish, aquatic insects, crayfish, and shrimp. For many species, concentrations of less than one part per billion are lethal. Permethrin causes deformities and other developmental problems in tadpoles, and reduces the number of oxygen-carrying cells in the blood of birds.

Permethrin has been found in streams and rivers throughout the United States. It is also routinely found on produce, particularly spinach, tomatoes, celery, lettuce, and peaches.

A wide variety of insects have developed resistance to permethrin. High levels of resistance have been documented in cockroaches, head lice, and tobacco budworm. http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/permethrin/cox-report/cox.htm

There's plenty more info on this one.

I should have known that the poison spray control trucks would come by tonight after that slight rain we had last night. They have to earn their keep somehow.