pesticide spray

Well, they've been doing it for years. IMO, it doesn't even put a dent in the fly problem. I have been on the beach before when they were spraying and the wind was coming out of the north. There is a noticable smell, and taste, of this pesticide. That can't be terribly healthy.

Hmmmmm. A couple weeks ago when we were down there, both John and I had weird headaches. We were thinking it was the starched sheets. Saw that plane pass right over our house two or three times. Flying very low.

Grrrrr!! Don't poison me!

Pesticides need to be:banned: , especially after reading my new Organic Style magazine. I'm gonna miss my terminix guy, though, I like his tattoos

seriously though the mag did talk about that as well as PBDE's from flame-retardant materials.

For house pests, we switched to baits. Pricey on the upfront, but so much better for you and the environment. (I'm on a well, can't be having poisons in my groundwater.) Haven't had termites, roaches or ants since we did. But I guess this thread isnt about that...

They told the same story to Vietnam Vets. Agent Orange is save. Not worry. 😱

Oh great, so it is not Red Tide that is causing the burning eyes and breathing problems. Who the h_ll makes the call to spray us with more chemicals such as this? I was pissed when I read the article. Now, I am pissed again. Maybe if they are going to spray, they could spray vinegar, or on second thought, Guinness. :bang:

This is just totally unbelievable!

Maybe if they are going to spray, they could spray vinegar, or on second thought, Guinness. :bang:

Or they could spray Windex :roll:

Or they could spray Windex :roll:

Yes, maybe that would remove the Love Bugs from the tourists cars.

just kidding, I don't want this to turn into a joke thread. Back to seriousness.

I don't trust the government to know what is safe and what is not. I would rather put up with a few pests than more poison. Isn't the government's job to let the corporations poison us? I don't know who gets to make these bonehead decisions.

I seem to recall this program was put in place many many years ago and the people responsible thought they were real clever. If it actually does kill bugs (which I find unlikely) it surely kills all kinds. What idiocy and arrogance to think we can do what we want without upsetting the balance.

I am still amazed that trucks drive around our neighborhoods spraying poison gas regularly, and spraying liquid poisons in our ditches and wetlands. Who's afraid of a skeeter?

If it actually does kill bugs (which I find unlikely) it surely kills all kinds. What idiocy and arrogance to think we can do what we want without upsetting the balance.

How true. Anyone know of natural deer fly predators?

It was interesting that on our visit to Illinois this summer there were many deer fly. In the past you might see an occassional one. Don't know why so many there this year. :idontno: It's curious.

From Walton Sun


A few weeks ago, For the Health of It owner Ed Berry was taking a routine trip to the bank across the street, when an airplane sprayed him with a light mist.
For the next 24 hours, Berry experienced a terrible headache and a host of other symptoms. Concern led him to do some investigation. He discovered the airplane had been spraying Dibrom Naled as part of Walton County?s Dog Fly Control program.
Since 1972, Florida has funded the Dog Fly Control program through the Department of Agricultural and Consumer services. In the program, DC-3s dispense the insecticide Dibrom Naled from an altitude of about 150 feet along the beaches.
According to the director of the South Walton Mosquito Control District Gary D?Andrea, from August to November, dog flies congregate on Northwest Florida beaches. The bugs are relatively harmless. However, their bites are a nuisance for residents and tourists.
Under Environmental Protection Agency?s 1999 proposed Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment, the organization classified DDVP, an impurity in Naled, the active ingredient in the pesticide, as having ?suggestive evidence of carcinogenity, but not sufficient to assess human carcinogenic potential.?
The EPA has stated that during aerial applications the amount and there are ?no adverse effects expected? at levels of exposure used for pest control.
According to a statement by Jay Feldman, Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides, Naled is an organophosphate, a highly toxic class of pesticides that affect the central nervous, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
The label accompanying Dibrom Naled claims that the substance is highly corrosive. Symptoms of exposure can include, numbness, tingling sensations, headache, dizziness, tremors or even death.
In addition to the potential dangers for humans, the label warns about the toxicity for fish, birds and other wildlife. Yet, the product is sprayed relatively close to the beach and water.
?It?s corrosive, but breaks down quickly. It doesn?t last in the environment, but it corrodes all the spraying equipment,? D?Andrea said.
He added that people shouldn?t worry about pesticides, because they are formulated to do a certain job and pose a low risk to humans.
Charlotte Wells, the executive director for Texans for Alternatives to Pesticides, explained government would never be able to come out and claim pesticides are safe.
?They can?t claim that they?re safe, they?re toxic by design. They are formulated to kill,? she said.
?The initial exposure may be low toxicity, but it is cumulative. After years of exposure, this is when we will see the effects,? said Susanne Morrone, a Ph.D. candidate in natural health.
In 2001, Morrone almost died from pesticide poisoning. During the trial that followed her experience, opening statements from her legal council claimed homicide, suicide and pesticide were all methods of murder.
?The issue is extremely important. This is something that people need to be aware of. We inhale (pesticides) and absorb them through our skin,? she said.
Morrone explained that the numbers of various childhood cancers have increased. Cancer is now the number two killer of children under the age of five.
?Why is that a concern? It?s a concern because the lifestyle of a toddler has not changed that much. They don?t smoke or drink. Pound for pound, their exposure to chemicals is much greater than adults. They breath faster and they are much closer to the ground,? she said.
?What?s more scary than the cancer statistics,? Morrone continued, ?is that there are safe alternatives that have been used for over a century by organic farmers.?
Wells said that sometimes spraying for insects merely eliminates mental worries. Pesticides do not always significantly lower the amount of insects.
?People want the spray because they think it helps,? she said.
According to Wells, people may have to make the decisions concerning the risk of natural diseases or those caused by man made chemicals. In addition, as a society, we may have to be cognizant of our behavioral patterns.
?Should we stay inside at night, or should we spray and sit outside with the pesticide?? Wells said.
In the early 1960s, environmentalist Rachel Carson became one of the first people to question human rights violations concerning pesticides. Her book ?Silent Spring? describes how on a daily basis, pesticides and other chemicals are poisoning humans without their consent. Some panhandle residents are upset that they are being unwittingly exposed to chemicals, including Dibrom Naled.
?I don?t want to be poisoned. I think the spraying and the pesticides use needs to be brought to the forefront of our community,? Berry said. ?I?ll put a solid immune system up against the diseases spread by immune systems, as opposed to chemicals. (By spraying) we may prevent one disease, but are we facilitating another. What is the balance? We can?t kill every little insect.?

Thanks for revisiting this topic...HMM and his law partner who flew planes in Vietnam were at Camp Creek on Friday playing a round, when a very low flying DC (can't remember if it was a DC-3 or what) sprayed them and then came back around and did it again. This was in the morning. WTF is that? No headaches or other symptoms came up, but I am REGALLY PO'ed that my husband cannot even go out to play an innocent round of golf w/o being covered w/ who knows what!!! The flies have been bothersome on occasion, but sounds like the cure is worse than the "disease" here. Really, really disturbing.

Thanks for revisiting this topic...HMM and his law partner who flew planes in Vietnam were at Camp Creek on Friday playing a round, when a very low flying DC (can't remember if it was a DC-3 or what) sprayed them and then came back around and did it again. This was in the morning. WTF is that? No headaches or other symptoms came up, but I am REGALLY PO'ed that my husband cannot even go out to play an innocent round of golf w/o being covered w/ who knows what!!! The flies have been bothersome on occasion, but sounds like the cure is worse than the "disease" here. Really, really disturbing.

I'd be upset too, Sueshore! Even though your husband didn't experience any symptoms, the bottom line is he was still innocently subjected to a chemical with unknown long-term effects. One short duration exposure most likely wouldn't create any serious health issues, but who's to say this won't happen again? Kind of sounds like a war zone! It's bad enough having to worry about the hurricanes (back off, Wilma!) without having to deal with man-made hazards as well! 😱 Wonder why they can't just spray at night? :idontno:

I'd be upset too, Sueshore! Even though your husband didn't experience any symptoms, the bottom line is he was still innocently subjected to a chemical with unknown long-term effects. One short duration exposure most likely wouldn't create any serious health issues, but who's to say this won't happen again? Kind of sounds like a war zone! It's bad enough having to worry about the hurricanes (back off, Wilma!) without having to deal with man-made hazards as well! 😱 Wonder why they can't just spray at night? :idontno:

My thoughts exactly!! I was thinking about even early morning...before people venture outside! Of course, in my case I'm up and out with Molly before the sun rises. insert some really po'ed frownie here

From Walton Sun..........
Since 1972, Florida has funded the Dog Fly Control program through the Department of Agricultural and Consumer services. In the program, DC-3s dispense the insecticide Dibrom Naled from an altitude of about 150 feet along the beaches.

If this pesticide has been used for this many years, the dog flies may have become more resistant to it rendering it less effective.



[/QUOTE]?It?s corrosive, but breaks down quickly. It doesn?t last in the environment, but it corrodes all the spraying equipment,? D?Andrea said.
He added that people shouldn?t worry about pesticides, because they are formulated to do a certain job and pose a low risk to humans. [/QUOTE]


:blink: People SHOULD worry about pesticides! We should always check into the potential cumulative affects substances have on us. This doesn't mean we need to live in fear, but we do need to be informed regarding the pros and cons of chemicals with which we come in contact, and how they affect the natural balance of plant and animal life.

Years ago our highways or roads in Arkansas use to bloom profusely with wild roses. I remember as a child how beautiful they were along side our roadways. Due to spraying we don't see them anymore. I really hate pesticides!! The people who use them are are not careful and do not take necessary precautions. When we used to own rental property, spraying was something we had to have done. However I would follow them around watching what they sprayed and cautioning them. When they would spray our food service buildings they would want to mix their spray in the sinks in the kitchens. As you can guess this was always a source of disagreement. We had water available outside the buildings, but it was trouble for them to have to go back outside everytime they needed to refill. :bang: :bang: :bang:

If this pesticide has been used for this many years, the dog flies may have become more resistant to it rendering it less effective.

Maybe that is why I can spray 50% deet bug spray directly onto a biting dogfly and he will continue biting me rather then flying away. Crazy, but the non-toxic vinegar will make them fly away quickly.

Seconding and summarizing Peaboy's points:

1-Dog flies are a nuisance, not a health hazard
2-We still have dog flies despite the spray
3-Tourism revenues don't seem to have been ruined by dog flies
3-The spray is probably a health hazard, and certainly not a health benefit

Sounds like this adds up to a good argument for stopping the spray.

I missed the Walton Sun article. Who is the proper contact in Walton or FL state government?