Mosquito Fogging Update
By: Mary Ellen Gadski
The last two spring issues of the newsletter have contained an article on the harmful effects of mosquito fogging, highlighting the risks to birds as well as to people’s health. Fogging with synthetic pyrethroids kills all insects, not just mosquitos, a practice one critic referred to as “ecocide.” Insects that most people view as beneficial— honey bees, butterflies, caterpillars, fireflies, lady bugs and even some earthworms—all are killed by the sprays. Reducing birds’ food supply is contributing to the decline of many species. For more information, see:
https://www.amosbutleraudubon.org/2022/05/26/the-harmful-effects-of-mosquito-fogging/
If you are concerned about getting pesticide drift on to your property from applications made to your neighbors’ yard, you have the right to submit a complaint to the Office of the Indiana State Chemist at Purdue. It is a fairly easy procedure. You submit a one-page form online with a brief description of the problem. There is only space for about three lines of text, so it must be succinct. To help your case, you may include photographs and videos of the applicator in action close to your property line. With the new high-powered backpack foggers, the spray seems to be more visible, and you may be able to document it coming in to your yard. Even cell phone shots can be invaluable.
An investigator will then come out to your property to take samples in places where you think the drift landed. Chemical residue can persist for up to 30 days, even if it rains during that period. Lab results can take up to 90 days, and the entire process can span nine months until Purdue’s compliance officer declares “case closed.” As a result of complaints, mosquito fogging franchises have been charged with various types of violations, ranging from a warning to a civil penalty of $1,000. As said David Scott, administrator of the Indiana Pesticide Review Board, at the board’s February 2022 meeting: “Individuals may take risks for themselves, but it’s not okay for them to decide for their neighbors.”