[OakBerry]

My area is being aerially sprayed for mosquitos, due to Eastern Equine Enchephalitis (a horse in my town just died from it,) and West Nile Virus.
I am sad about my garden getting contaminated, the dragonflies being killed.

We have the huge ones that just cruise around the yard. I am also so worried about the ruby throated hummingbirds. If they don't die from the pesticide, their food source (bugs) has been cut very low.
Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[EastonsMom]

We call it the cancer truck and they come by everyother night

: I feel the sme way but here in Hillbillyville not much can be said about it.

 

[Manonash]

They don't do it where I live, too far into the country. They do it in the nearby city though. (but the "roundup" trucks come every summer by way of the electric company, spraying trees and shrubs that will never even think about reaching the power lines (plus, physical removal is more effective anyway

: ).

Quote:

I am also so worried about the ruby throated hummingbirds. If they don't die from the pesticide, their food source (bugs) has been cut very low.

I learned something today -- I had no idea that the ruby throated hummers were omnivorous. Sure enough, they love the little buggers.

 

[OakBerry]

I am in the boonies too.
They are spraying by plane because the ground spraying hasn't been effective enough. There is a huge swamp in a nearby town that is one of the largest breeding grounds for mosquitos, and it's hard to get to by land.
In one way, I will be glad to be rid of the mosquitos, a 5 year old child died last summer from EEE and an elderly person died too. This year they are finding way more EEE in mosquitos at an earlier time, plus a horse in my town has already died from it. I worry about my son every time he gets bit, which is often. Where I live, any time of the day that you are in the shade you will get bitten by mosquitos.
But on the other hand, I feel terrible about the eco-damage it will do.
I just scrubbed out my birdbath and birdfeeders, and my hummie feeders too (I adore them), plus all of ds's toys and swingset. Sigh...

 

[UlrikeDG]

My suburb sprays for 'skeeters, too. However, I was cruising the city website and noticed that they actually have a form you can fill out to request that your yard not get sprayed. They'll stop spraying X feet before your property and not resume spraying until X feet after (I think it's 150 feet, but I'm not positive). Anyway, it's worth checking to see if your city/county has a similar policy.

 

[OakBerry]

I think the county does the truck spraying, and you can request not to be sprayed by writing a letter or calling. In this case, it was a department of public health decision to do the aerial spraying. The only things they are avoiding (using global posititioning systems in the plane) are public water supplies, organic farms, and the like.