Sharpstown Civic Association, Inc.

In todays newpaper (Friday June 8, 2007) one-fourth of the front page is devoted to county spraying for West Nile. The headline reads ''County sprays for West Nile - but too much?'' The article says, ''But now another worry has surfaced: whether the county's multiple spraying operations will build insects' immunity to the chemicals ... some mosquito populations are being overexposed to the same chemicals, which could help those insects develop immunities that make them tougher to kill ...''.

I have warned the Association over two years ago about the danger of spraying for mosquitoes every Thursday (also known as ''calendar spraying'').

''Unlike the county, which sprays only at specific times to dampen mosquito-borne viruses such as West Nile, private companies (like our association) spray on a more regular basis to control nuisance mosquitoes, which pose no imminent health threat. And the more exposure mosquitoes endure, the tougher they get.''

''Mosquito control is often justified because mosquitoes can carry disease, such as encephalitis. However, the use of Scourge and other toxic pesticides is never justified for nuisance control.''

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta points out that ''Calendar Spraying'' (every Thursday) is not good.

The problem with spraying for mosquitoes every week is that the mosquitoes become resistance to the pesticide over time. Spraying should only occur when mosquitoes carry disease.


By Sharpstowner

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By Sharpstowner