Fwd: [IN-BIRD] ABC Position Statement- West Nile Virus

[Paul Cherubini]

Liz Day wrote:
> 
> This came through the birdwatching list and is an interesting discussion of
> the merits or demerits of mosquito control.  It starts out about birds but
> it turns out to be about insects and everything else.  Worth a read.

In the article it states:

"Organophosphates, due to their acute and sub-lethal toxic effects to birds
other wildlife, and humans, should not be used for mosquito control.
Pyrethroids are highly acutely toxic to non-target and
beneficial insects, and to practically all aquatic life."

I think alot of commercial bird breeders and poultry farmers would
get a good belly laugh out of this article.  They spray a San Francisco
like fog of these same mosquito control pesticides right over the top 
of their birds to control flies, feather mites and such at far higher concentrations
than are used for mosquito control.  They tell me the birds "love it"
as it gives them relief from itching and irritation. These bird farmers
would not use the pesticides if they interferred with bird health and 
breeding in any way. To the contrary, pesticides and a wide array of
disinfectants are sprayed to maintain and enhance bird health and 
reproduction.

These mosquito control insecticides are also the ones used in child 
headlice preparations. Of course it's easy to find web sites declaring
they are scary and harmful too.  But we live in an age where this style
of fanciful imagining is considered fashionable and politically correct.

Meanwhile it remains unfashionable to address REAL human health
threats - like the volume of stereos in college dorms. Millions of
middle aged folks like me are now suffering from varying  degrees of permanent
hearing loss due to unregulated exposure to rock music in our youth.

Paul Cherubini

 
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