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Mosquito Control wants to spend $1.2 million for a new poison spray plane

Smiling JOe avatar
Smiling JOeSoWal Expert
34,788 views
South Walton Mosquito Control wants to spend $1.2 million for a replacement poison spray plane, so that we can continue to get sprayed with poisons as they try to kill mosquitos.

Please send letters and emails to Gov Crist, requesting to stop the blanket spraying of poisons on us and our property.


Gov Charlie Crist
Office of Governor
State of Florida
PL-05 The Capitol
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001

Replies

181
Indigo JillBeach Fanatic
#102
There is also a belief, amongst many different beliefs, that environmental toxins could play a role in the increase of autism we see are seeing in this country.

I thought the latest accused culprit on that was it was childhood immunizations that was supposidly causing that. Don't get me started.

It's like shark attacks - sharks are not more vicious and dangerous these days. When I hear people say this, I cringe. There are just statisically more people entering the water now, and better technology to broadcast the incidents!

Autism and diabetes (and my "baby" who is now 9 but was diagnosed at 6 has Type 1 diabetes) and cancer of all types and depression and PTSD and hypothyroidism and ... blah blah blah....These are human diseases, sicknesses and conditions that didn't just "appear" as a result of spraying for mosquitos or giving our children immunizations (I use these two to tie it back into this thread). Recorded history has documented these since ... well, since humans evolved to a place where they could document! It wasn't until recently (and truly, it was recently as in my lifetime and I'm not that old :roll: ) that we had the techonolgy to support the global communication between humans to collaboratively exchange information, put "labels" on all these things and find solutions for some of them - be it cures, maintenance medications, surgical techniques and the like.

Folks, be thankful we live in the day we do. We are finding the human body, as evolved presently, cannot support life past the age of 120 and the fact that there are so many living to that age (and even a few years beyond which are truly miracles) is astonishing, despite the accused "evils" of modern day society. We can always strive for being and doing things more "naturally" of course, but I think, from what I've heard from these incredible teachers who actually live that long, is that the true secret to longevity is being happy, loving life, laughing a lot and letting stuff roll off your back!

Edited

Mango avatar
MangoSoWal Insider
#103
I thought the latest accused culprit on that was it was childhood immunizations that was supposidly causing that. Don't get me started.

It's like shark attacks - sharks are not more vicious and dangerous these days. When I hear people say this, I cringe. There are just statisically more people entering the water now, and better technology to broadcast the incidents!

Autism and diabetes (and my "baby" who is now 9 but was diagnosed at 6 has Type 1 diabetes) and cancer of all types and depression and PTSD and hypothyroidism and ... blah blah blah....These are human diseases, sicknesses and conditions that didn't just "appear" as a result of spraying for mosquitos or giving our children immunizations (I use these two to tie it back into this thread). Recorded history has documented these since ... well, since humans evolved to a place where they could document! It wasn't until recently (and truly, it was recently as in my lifetime and I'm not that old :roll: ) that we had the techonolgy to support the global communication between humans to collaboratively exchange information, put "labels" on all these things and find solutions for some of them - be it cures, maintenance medications, surgical techniques and the like.

Folks, be thankful we live in the day we do. We are finding the human body, as evolved presently, cannot support life past the age of 120 and the fact that there are so many living to that age (and even a few years beyond which are truly miracles) is astonishing, despite the accused "evils" of modern day society. We can always strive for being and doing things more "naturally" of course, but I think, from what I've heard from these incredible teachers who actually live that long, is that the true secret to longevity is being happy, loving life, laughing a lot and letting stuff roll off your back!

IJ, the medical community has no idea what causes children to be on the spectrum. Immunizations, toxins, genetics, wiring of the brain at birth????
Of course awareness has increased of certain disorders, diseases, depression, shark attacks etc.

I am surprised to see that a yoga instructor who states loving life and laughter is the key to longevity doesn't understand that those things contribute to a healthier immune system.
Also, some people's bodies process environmental toxins better than others or practice better dietary lifestyles.

What I do know is that we (we being my neighbors and I) used Dursban before it was banned in New York, and 1 child at 2 was shortly diagnosed with leukemia, another grown man 4 houses down died of leukemia who also worked for a petroleum carting company.
That my PCP has told me that 1 in 4 patients who enter his office has cancer, and has done quite a bit of research after losing his entire family to it, and that he feels environmental toxins are playing a large role in this increase.
That I also have a friend and former colleague suffering from a rare form of cancer specifically caused by pesticides who doctors told should be dead already, but has been using homepathic "meds" to ease pain and it has quite possibly extended his life.

So while the naysayers may say this is all just coincidence, it certainly opened my eyes to the strong possibility that pesticides use and environmental toxins may be playing a large role.

Although as I stated earlier in this thread, if it isn't absolutely necessary to spray for dog flies, and other alternatives may be available, and the fact that no one can with any certainty prove that long term it is safe to humans and the environment, I remain in the camp of avoidance.

With all that being said, I had a conversation with my 99 year old grandfather this weekend about longevity and I told him I wasn't sure I was probably too vain to live that long and have wrinkles. He laughed and told me I really won't give a darn and can wear my clothes inside out all I want and wrinkled. 😀

Edited

organicmama avatar
organicmamaBeach Fanatic
#104
The whole point is that we'll all part of the spectrum. This thread is about pesticides. We've gone off on some wonderful tangets and I love debating with Skunky because I feel that his role is very important as an ER MD. As I stated before the fact that allopathic medicine saves lives, and Skunky plays a HUGE role in that.

I will say that if these d*** herbs and stuff aren't working, then why are drug researchers combing the Amazon for "new wonder drugs" before we lose the species through our own stupidity?:cool:

Back to mosquito control.... for all of us, especially those who are totally against spraying.... we are going to alienate the hell out of people with the all or nothing stance. Same goes for the spray the hell out of everything camp. We have to take baby steps to reduce the amount of pesticide spraying and talk logically with each other.

Heck, if we could reduce the spraying by 50% or 75% or 90%, wouldn't that be better than what we have now? If we all put our intelligent heads together, we'd find the answer. We can't do it alone and while b****ing at each other.

And, maybe along the way, we'll find that we can do without the spraying. But we can't find that out by demanding 100% that it all needs to stop now because no one's gonna work with us. They're just gonna to say, "Those naturalist/hippie FREAKS!"

I, personally, am willing to work with anyone on doing research to find viable answers that everyone can live with. Who's on board?

BTW, your "real" self will come out on this one. That goes for everyone. If you're not willing to work to find solutions with those that you don't totally harmonize with, you might need to check on your ego.😀

Mango, you, my friend; have been the true voice of reason throughout this whole thread. I feel that your points are valid and make an incredible amount of sense and that each camp needs to consider your powerful words. Thank you.:wub:

Jill, I totally understand what you are doing. Nice!

Yes, I am totally for NO PESTICIDES, but I also live in the real world and know that CHANGE usually comes through the back door. May each of you have a beautiful day and let's pray for rain soon!

Edited

organicmama avatar
organicmamaBeach Fanatic
#105
OM, Tupelo, Mama, you guys are nuts.

I'll take that as a compliment from the great Skunky himself.:lolabove:
organicmama avatar
organicmamaBeach Fanatic
#106
ITA with everything you have said!:clap_1: Skunky commented about my husband's illness as being "one of those...." But in reality, allopathic medicine treats the symptoms, not the causes of disease. As a symptom arises, a drug or procedure is prescribed. As another symptom arises, something else is prescribed. And so on.... Without the cause being known, it cannot be said that there has been a cure.

IJ, the medical community has no idea what causes children to be on the spectrum. Immunizations, toxins, genetics, wiring of the brain at birth????
Of course awareness has increased of certain disorders, diseases, depression, shark attacks etc.

I am surprised to see that a yoga instructor who states loving life and laughter is the key to longevity doesn't understand that those things contribute to a healthier immune system.
Also, some people's bodies process environmental toxins better than others or practice better dietary lifestyles.

What I do know is that we (we being my neighbors and I) used Dursban before it was banned in New York, and 1 child at 2 was shortly diagnosed with leukemia, another grown man 4 houses down died of leukemia who also worked for a petroleum carting company.
That my PCP has told me that 1 in 4 patients who enter his office has cancer, and has done quite a bit of research after losing his entire family to it, and that he feels environmental toxins are playing a large role in this increase.
That I also have a friend and former colleague suffering from a rare form of cancer specifically caused by pesticides who doctors told should be dead already, but has been using homepathic "meds" to ease pain and it has quite possibly extended his life.

So while the naysayers may say this is all just coincidence, it certainly opened my eyes to the strong possibility that pesticides use and environmental toxins may be playing a large role.

Although as I stated earlier in this thread, if it isn't absolutely necessary to spray for dog flies, and other alternatives may be available, and the fact that no one can with any certainty prove that long term it is safe to humans and the environment, I remain in the camp of avoidance.

With all that being said, I had a conversation with my 99 year old grandfather this weekend about longevity and I told him I wasn't sure I was probably too vain to live that long and have wrinkles. He laughed and told me I really won't give a darn and can wear my clothes inside out all I want and wrinkled. 😀
TooFarTampa avatar
TooFarTampaSoWal Insider
#107
I will say that if these d*** herbs and stuff aren't working, then why are drug researchers combing the Amazon for "new wonder drugs" before we lose the species through our own stupidity?:cool:

Back to mosquito control.... for all of us, especially those who are totally against spraying.... we are going to alienate the hell out of people with the all or nothing stance. Same goes for the spray the hell out of everything camp. We have to take baby steps to reduce the amount of pesticide spraying and talk logically with each other.

You make a lot of sense organicmama. :clap_1:

Would I live in Florida without pesticides? Heck no. If you want to see SoWal real estate values drop even farther, then by all means ban the bug man. :funn: (or woman)

But I am also convinced that the storage of pesticides in our bodies is contributing to some long term medical problems. I'd be shocked if cancer weren't one of them and would not be surprised to see autism on that list. Think of the things we're seeing more of: autism, asthma, lymphoma. Why is that? And you can't tell me that it's all because the diagnostic process has greatly improved.

This is a tangent but I am currently on Weight Watchers. I'm a nursing mom and have read that I shouldn't lose more than about a pound a week because as fat breaks up, the pesticides that have been stored in it it go through the body and into the breastmilk. :shock: TMI, probably, but very interesting. How can we, in this day and age of food recalls, not want to know more about where our food comes from and what is going into our bodies?

Just as medicine has made some amazing progress using targeted therapies (often using synthetic versions of crunched up beetles or tree bark or whatever :roll: ) pesticide use should absolutely be targeted. We do just fine here in Tampa without an airplane spraying cr*p all over us. It was a BIG controversy awhile back when they were spraying malathion for fruit flies. That was 8-10 years ago and the spraying did not last very long. I can't imagine why airplanes spraying for mosquitos is necessary, even with such a large amount of undeveloped land. It seems to me that $1.2 million on the plane could be better spent on some more employees and trucks to hand- or hose-spray where it is needed. It's the way it works in our county. Can anyone tell me why they don't do that instead?
Mango avatar
MangoSoWal Insider
#108
Back to mosquito control.... for all of us, especially those who are totally against spraying.... we are going to alienate the hell out of people with the all or nothing stance. Same goes for the spray the hell out of everything camp. We have to take baby steps to reduce the amount of pesticide spraying and talk logically with each other.

Heck, if we could reduce the spraying by 50% or 75% or 90%, wouldn't that be better than what we have now? If we all put our intelligent heads together, we'd find the answer. We can't do it alone and while b****ing at each other.

And, maybe along the way, we'll find that we can do without the spraying. But we can't find that out by demanding 100% that it all needs to stop now because no one's gonna work with us. They're just gonna to say, "Those naturalist/hippie FREAKS!"

I, personally, am willing to work with anyone on doing research to find viable answers that everyone can live with. Who's on board?

Mango, you, my friend; have been the true voice of reason throughout this whole thread. I feel that your points are valid and make an incredible amount of sense and that each camp needs to consider your powerful words. Thank you.:wub:

Well thanks Organic Mama.
Not sure if I am the voice of reason or insanity :lol: , but count me on board.
I'll be looking further into the fly traps and report back asap.
Mango avatar
MangoSoWal Insider
#109
According to the old conception wheel, I was concieved July 4th!:funn:

So you were conceived with a bang. :rofl:
florida girl avatar
florida girlBeach Fanatic
#110
We now enjoy a relatively minuscule number of insect pests considering what they were, don?t knock what the Mosquito Control has already accomplished. We need to obtain a healthy balance. If the astute posters on this board have a better way, come together and bring it forward. We should be aiming for the same end result, to be able to live in South Walton safely. Extreme left wing groups also banned the pesticides used to control bedbugs, and now we have a problem. I don?t hear any of you not wanting to control them, or roaches, fleas, or any other pest. To single out one pest not to control is ridiculous.
TooFarTampa avatar
TooFarTampaSoWal Insider
#111
OK I just read this entire thread and now see that the breast milk issue was discussed on pg 2. :roll:

This is a very interesting thread. I don't want Skunky to feel picked on because he has made many, many logical points. I do however believe that genetics affects the way our bodies process toxins and other outside influences. Science has come very very far (a big thank you to all of those with those $100K student loans) but not quite far enough. Genetics has to be the major reason some people get cancer and others don't.

My father in law was a lifelong heavy smoker and died of lung cancer and circulatory disease at age 63. My brother in law was a more moderate smoker and longtime bartender who died of lung cancer at age 39. 39! So he had the lung cancer gene (or whatever) and worked in smoky bars and didn't take great care of himself ... was this bound to happen because of his genetic makeup? I have to think so. I read a couple of years ago that in a decade or so we will be able to map everyone's genetic makeup and suggest a diet plan to maximize life span and health and minimize disease. That is the kind of thing I would pay big money for, especially for my kids. :popcorn:

That is if we have any food left. No one has mentioned the danger of the spraying to honeybees! Even the Walton County site acknowledges this. Honeybees are dying off across the country in alarming numbers. Fewer honeybees means major challenges to our food supply. :bang:

There has to be a better solution than all-out spray attacks.
30A Skunkape avatar
30A SkunkapeSkunky
#112
Indigo Jill, you just hit a common sense grand slam :clap_1:
30A Skunkape avatar
30A SkunkapeSkunky
#113
OK I just read this entire thread and now see that the breast milk issue was discussed on pg 2. :roll:

This is a very interesting thread. I don't want Skunky to feel picked on because he has made many, many logical points. I do however believe that genetics affects the way our bodies process toxins and other outside influences. Science has come very very far (a big thank you to all of those with those $100K student loans) but not quite far enough. Genetics has to be the major reason some people get cancer and others don't.

My father in law was a lifelong heavy smoker and died of lung cancer and circulatory disease at age 63. My brother in law was a more moderate smoker and longtime bartender who died of lung cancer at age 39. 39! So he had the lung cancer gene (or whatever) and worked in smoky bars and didn't take great care of himself ... was this bound to happen because of his genetic makeup? I have to think so. I read a couple of years ago that in a decade or so we will be able to map everyone's genetic makeup and suggest a diet plan to maximize life span and health and minimize disease. That is the kind of thing I would pay big money for, especially for my kids. :popcorn:

That is if we have any food left. No one has mentioned the danger of the spraying to honeybees! Even the Walton County site acknowledges this. Honeybees are dying off across the country in alarming numbers. Fewer honeybees means major challenges to our food supply. :bang:

There has to be a better solution than all-out spray attacks.

Yes, genetics are a well known if not totally understood risk factor. In some cancers it is obvious, such as breast cancer and familial polyposis. Many cancers appear to develop secondary to a defect in apoptosis, and this seems to have a genetic etiology. But considering genetics as a science is still in its infancy (Watson and Crick described the DNA double helix in the 1950s!) there is no doubt we have much more to learn.

I discussed the bee issue with a PhD'd entomologist and he flat out stated they have no idea what is going on with the bees. It is a potential catastrophe:creepy:
florida girl avatar
florida girlBeach Fanatic
#114
I discussed the bee issue with a PhD'd entomologist and he flat out stated they have no idea what is going on with the bees. It is a potential catastrophe:creepy:

I heard a news report suggesting cell phones
organicmama avatar
organicmamaBeach Fanatic
#115
We now enjoy a relatively minuscule number of insect pests considering what they were, don?t knock what the Mosquito Control has already accomplished. We need to obtain a healthy balance. If the astute posters on this board have a better way, come together and bring it forward. We should be aiming for the same end result, to be able to live in South Walton safely. Extreme left wing groups also banned the pesticides used to control bedbugs, and now we have a problem. I don?t hear any of you not wanting to control them, or roaches, fleas, or any other pest. To single out one pest not to control is ridiculous.

Flat out ITA. I want a better way. If we just end the spraying without better answers overall, we are throwing things out of balance AGAIN. If we work to find answers together, as a whole, not as two extremes, then we are more likely to find the right answers AND be able to apply them better. Our community as a whole will benefit and we can set the example to others that through using the minds of those with varying opinions together is far more useful than mud-slinging and pointing fingers.

BTW, I use EarthQuest for my pest contol at home and I am very satisfied with it in regards to the other pests.
organicmama avatar
organicmamaBeach Fanatic
#116
You make a lot of sense organicmama. :clap_1:

Would I live in Florida without pesticides? Heck no. If you want to see SoWal real estate values drop even farther, then by all means ban the bug man. :funn: (or woman)

But I am also convinced that the storage of pesticides in our bodies is contributing to some long term medical problems. I'd be shocked if cancer weren't one of them and would not be surprised to see autism on that list. Think of the things we're seeing more of: autism, asthma, lymphoma. Why is that? And you can't tell me that it's all because the diagnostic process has greatly improved.

This is a tangent but I am currently on Weight Watchers. I'm a nursing mom and have read that I shouldn't lose more than about a pound a week because as fat breaks up, the pesticides that have been stored in it it go through the body and into the breastmilk. :shock: TMI, probably, but very interesting. How can we, in this day and age of food recalls, not want to know more about where our food comes from and what is going into our bodies?

Just as medicine has made some amazing progress using targeted therapies (often using synthetic versions of crunched up beetles or tree bark or whatever :roll: ) pesticide use should absolutely be targeted. We do just fine here in Tampa without an airplane spraying cr*p all over us. It was a BIG controversy awhile back when they were spraying malathion for fruit flies. That was 8-10 years ago and the spraying did not last very long. I can't imagine why airplanes spraying for mosquitos is necessary, even with such a large amount of undeveloped land. It seems to me that $1.2 million on the plane could be better spent on some more employees and trucks to hand- or hose-spray where it is needed. It's the way it works in our county. Can anyone tell me why they don't do that instead?

Nursing mom here too and ITA! Now, if I could wave my magic wand and suddenly loose those extra __ pounds, I'd be a happy woman! :floor: But I know that I can't detox in any form right now!
Mango avatar
MangoSoWal Insider
#117
]Important: Please READ[/B]
Spent a half hour typing a post and then lost it, so here goes again. :roll:

I just spent about 45 minutes on the phone with
Dr. Jim Cilek of Florida ANM University in Panama City Beach, Professor of Entomology and he specifically has intensive experience with the Dog Fly Program in Research. The Dog Fly program consults to the State of Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services, but is NOT a part or division of such. The State is responsible for the spraying.
Dr. Cilek was quite informative and a real gentleman, and understood our concerns. He is also quoted as a reference in a previous link I posted, and I didn't realize it until after I spoke to him.

This is the information I garnered regarding the rationale for aerial spraying, where dog flies originate, what is being done, and what you can do in your surroundings.

For starters, according to Dr. Cilek, dog flies are extremely difficult to track as far as where they are originating from. It is known that they are originating from dairy and cattle farmers in Northern Florida, parts of Alabama, and possibly as far as Georgia. The dog flies are carried in by cold fronts on northerly winds. The more cold fronts, the more flies.
Where they wind up (hot pockets) depends on the winds.

It is also unclear whether when they come over the bay if they are flying over trees, how high they can get, etc. Therefore, trying to stop them before they reach the beaches with other methods is highly difficult.

Aerial spraying is not done on a calendar schedule. It is done based on reports from daily inspections of the beaches. This is done by inspectors with long pants on and time how many flies land on them within a given period, and if it exceeds 5, which is considered a nusiance, aerial spraying is suggested. There may be not be any spraying one season, and some the next season dependent on how many cold fronts and flies survive to the beach.

You may ask why not try to stop the flies at the source? I asked this question, and according to Dr. Cilek, dog flies bite cows on the lower limbs. It is difficult without applying toxic chemicals to the cow to do this.
Further, there is something available to farmers which is inserted in the cow, but the cost is expensive, lasts 3-4 months only (some do however) and farmers really have no motivation short of their cow hands or milkers complaining of bites or inspectors citing them.

Regarding the aerial spraying, Dr. Cilek says based on the research and dog fly population now compared to many years ago, that the amount of spray used is negligible, as well as studies conducted on what is a safe amount. Spraying if needed based on the amounts determined to be a nusiance is done between 10 am-12 pm according to wind currents.

(People I am just stating what was told to me, so don't shoot the messenger)

I do want to point out though that Dr. Cilek is also involved in research in using alternative methods. He has studied solar panel electrocution traps, there may be a research study in St. Andrews Park with adhesive panels, and he also discovered that the beach ball trap can be effective in your own yards and surrounding in controlling populations.
However, none of these traps and alternatives will control the population of dog flies to the extent needed due to the above stated (wind and where they are coming from can not not be pre-determined.)

I will post below how to use a beach ball as a trap for dog flies here and on a separate thread.

As far as the traps I see in New Jersey, Dr. Cilek explained those are for green flies, not dog flies (so apologies for my error)

Dr. Cilek may come on here and post information, I hope he does, makes corrections or adds to my post, but if anyone has any further questions, he welcomes them, and has given me permission to post his
e-mail address.

cilek_J@popmail.firn.edu

You can also view information about dog flies and research at
http://www.pherec.org
specifically ENT guides.

____________________________________________________________
Beach Ball Dog Fly Traps

Dog flies like other insects can not see colors, so a red, white and blue beach ball will attract more flies due to variations in shades which flies are attracted to. Coat the beach ball with tanglefoot adhesive (can be purchased at Ace Hardware)
It's best to hang on a tree limb or tethered somewhere higher up, and make sure that has the ability to swing somewhat. Dr. Cilek believes the flies ae also attracted to the shimmer.

Edited

organicmama avatar
organicmamaBeach Fanatic
#118
Awesome info! Thank you! :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:

Does anyone know on average how many times a year they have sprayed for dog flies?

]Important: Please READ[/b]
Spent a half hour typing a post and then lost it, so here goes again. :roll:

I just spent about 45 minutes on the phone with
Dr. Jim Cilek of Florida ANM University in Panama City Beach, Professor of Entomology and he specifically has intensive experience with the Dog Fly Program in Research. The Dog Fly program consults to the State of Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services, but is NOT a part or division of such. The State is responsible for the spraying.
Dr. Cilek was quite informative and a real gentleman, and understood our concerns. He is also quoted as a reference in a previous link I posted, and I didn't realize it until after I spoke to him.

This is the information I garnered regarding the rationale for aerial spraying, where dog flies originate, what is being done, and what you can do in your surroundings.

For starters, according to Dr. Cilek, dog flies are extremely difficult to track as far as where they are originating from. It is known that they are originating from dairy and cattle farmers in Northern Florida, parts of Alabama, and possibly as far as Georgia. The dog flies are carried in by cold fronts on northerly winds. The more cold fronts, the more flies.
Where they wind up (hot pockets) depends on the winds.

It is also unclear whether when they come over the bay if they are flying over trees, how high they can get, etc. Therefore, trying to stop them before they reach the beaches with other methods is highly difficult.

Aerial spraying is not done on a calendar schedule. It is done based on reports from daily inspections of the beaches. This is done by inspectors with long pants on and time how many flies land on them within a given period, and if it exceeds 5, which is considered a nusiance, aerial spraying is suggested. There may be not be any spraying one season, and some the next season dependent on how many cold fronts and flies survive to the beach.

You may ask why not try to stop the flies at the source? I asked this question, and according to Dr. Cilek, dog flies bite cows on the lower limbs. It is difficult without applying toxic chemicals to the cow to do this.
Further, there is something available to farmers which is inserted in the cow, but the cost is expensive, lasts 3-4 months only (some do however) and farmers really have no motivation short of their cow hands or milkers complaining of bites or inspectors citing them.

Regarding the aerial spraying, Dr. Cilek says based on the research and dog fly population now compared to many years ago, that the amount of spray used is negligible, as well as studies conducted on what is a safe amount. Spraying if needed based on the amounts determined to be a nusiance is done between 10 am-12 pm according to wind currents.

(People I am just stating what was told to me, so don't shoot the messenger)

I do want to point out though that Dr. Cilek is also involved in research in using alternative methods. He has studied solar panel electrocution traps, there may be a research study in St. Andrews Park with adhesive panels, and he also discovered that the beach ball trap can be effective in your own yards and surrounding in controlling populations.
However, none of these traps and alternatives will control the population of dog flies to the extent needed due to the above stated (wind and where they are coming from can not not be pre-determined.)

I will post below how to use a beach ball as a trap for dog flies here and on a separate thread.

As far as the traps I see in New Jersey, Dr. Cilek explained those are for green flies, not dog flies (so apologies for my error)

Dr. Cilek may come on here and post information, I hope he does, makes corrections or adds to my post, but if anyone has any further questions, he welcomes them, and has given me permission to post his
e-mail address.

cilek_J@popmail.firn.edu

You can also view information about dog flies and research at
http://www.pherec.org
specifically ENT guides.

____________________________________________________________
Beach Ball Dog Fly Traps

Dog flies like other insects can not see colors, so a red, white and blue beach ball will attract more flies due to variations in shades which flies are attracted to. Coat the beach ball with tanglefoot adhesive (can be purchased at Ace Hardware)
It's best to hang on a tree limb or tethered somewhere higher up, and make sure that has the ability to swing somewhat. Dr. Cilek believes the flies ae also attracted to the shimmer.
scooterbug44 avatar
scooterbug44SoWal Expert
#119
You can't go wrong w/ fewer chemicals and the least amount of messing w/ mother nature.

If fewer skeeters is the desired goal, is a new plane the best solution from both a monetary and environmental standpoint?

I'd worry more about all of the chemicals in your home and on/in your food before I'd blame mosquito spraying for a bunch of diseases.

Too much TV is probably doing as much mental and physical damage to people as skeeter spraying!
Mango avatar
MangoSoWal Insider
#120
Awesome info! Thank you! :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1: :clap_1:

Does anyone know on average how many times a year they have sprayed for dog flies?

I have no idea the average spraying over the course of say 10 years.
I suppose that is a question maybe Mr. Cilek could address or the State probably more so.

After learning all I have, and reading Mr. Cilek's information, it seems to me that the best approach if someone were to address the situation with Christ's office would be to ask for more stringent dog fly control of farmers :idontno: , as well as trying to control the population within your own surroundings in Sowal as owners.
So there is something residents and owners can do on their own as well and it's a beach ball. ;-)

Just be careful not to get stuck to it, and pleez.............................
save me the white meat. :funn:

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