The "mosquito spray" called DUET causes more harm than good. It is a highly toxic mist more powerful than those originally developed for our military to use against our enemies. It poses unacceptable risk to human health - including causing birth defects, breast cancer, and asthma. It devastates nature - killing butterflies, honey bees, baby birds, fish, and frogs.
The spray is an ineffective way to control mosquitos. It worsens the mosquito problem. It only temporarily clears the air of adult mosquitos, leaving mosquito larvae undisturbed. Meanwhile, it clears the ecosystem of species that feed on mosquitos. The mosquitos will come right back - but, tragically the mosquito-eaters will not.
The use of this type of pesticide has already been banned in several Canadian provinces, major U.S. cities, and communities throughout Ohio.
I am an Ottawa Hills resident. Please reconsider the decision to use this deadly chemical on us - there are much better ways to control mosquitos.
Updates
April 17, 2014
I have been busy compiling data on the health risks of DUET to present at the next council meeting. Post this link on your Facebook page right now so our neighbors see the environmental impact of these sprays. Email your council representative today and demand they end this practice before the next round of spraying begins.
April 17, 2014
The momentum behind this effort is undeniable and the Council can no longer ignore our push for safer mosquito control. Post the petition link to your Facebook feed today and email your specific Village Council representative to demand an immediate stop to these toxic sprays.
4 Comments
TOTAL WASTE OF TAX MONEY. it kills all the good bugs and does nothing for the mosquitos. get a grip village council.
my kids have asthma and this chemical is just unnecessary. why are we spraying this stuff everywhere when there are safer ways to handle bugs. stop it now!
Ottawa Hills Village Council: Though I don’t agree with all the wording of the current petition regarding a discontinuation of the use of Duet insecticide, I do agree with the general sentiment of the petition. First, Duet, as with all pesticides, has significant undesirable effects on non-target organisms. Notably, as past experience has demonstrated again and again (e.g., DTT, Roundup, BT corn), pesticides always have unintended effects on non-target organisms, but such non-target effects are often not discovered until after damage has been done. The fact that Duet is a synthetic version of a naturally-occurring chemical does not mean that is necessarily safe, or safer than non-natural chemicals, or that is does not have non-target effects. I do not want my children exposed to Duet, and I do not want beneficial insects, birds, and other animals exposed to Duet. Second, the method used to administer Duet in Ottawa Hills is highly ineffective: it is released by misting trucks along community streets, where relatively few adult mosquitos are present (most of our mosquitos are present in or near vegetation in parks, backyards, or near the Ottawa River). Hence, the current use of Duet in Ottawa Hills is largely a waste of taxpayer monies. Third, there are other methods for mosquito control that are less toxic, and no less efficient, than using Duet as we do in Ottawa Hills (e.g., insect traps, encouraging our bat population). Lastly, the use of Duet or other insecticides in large-scale misting programs is really a “public relations gimmick”- it satisfies public demand for action, even though it is known to be of limited effectiveness. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Dr. Scott Heckathorn, PhD Village resident and Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences, U. Toledo
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The "mosquito spray" called DUET causes more harm than good. It is a highly toxic mist more powerful than those originally developed for our military to use against our enemies. It poses unacceptable risk to human health - including causing birth defects, breast cancer, and asthma. It devastates nature - killing butterflies, honey bees, baby birds, fish, and frogs.
The spray is an ineffective way to control mosquitos. It worsens the mosquito problem. It only temporarily clears the air of adult mosquitos, leaving mosquito larvae undisturbed. Meanwhile, it clears the ecosystem of species that feed on mosquitos. The mosquitos will come right back - but, tragically the mosquito-eaters will not.
The use of this type of pesticide has already been banned in several Canadian provinces, major U.S. cities, and communities throughout Ohio.
I am an Ottawa Hills resident. Please reconsider the decision to use this deadly chemical on us - there are much better ways to control mosquitos.
Updates
April 17, 2014
I have been busy compiling data on the health risks of DUET to present at the next council meeting. Post this link on your Facebook page right now so our neighbors see the environmental impact of these sprays. Email your council representative today and demand they end this practice before the next round of spraying begins.
April 17, 2014
The momentum behind this effort is undeniable and the Council can no longer ignore our push for safer mosquito control. Post the petition link to your Facebook feed today and email your specific Village Council representative to demand an immediate stop to these toxic sprays.
4 Comments
Please consider the wildlife. My garden used to be full of butterflies before they started this spraying. It is heartbreaking to see what it is doing to our town.
TOTAL WASTE OF TAX MONEY. it kills all the good bugs and does nothing for the mosquitos. get a grip village council.
my kids have asthma and this chemical is just unnecessary. why are we spraying this stuff everywhere when there are safer ways to handle bugs. stop it now!
Ottawa Hills Village Council: Though I don’t agree with all the wording of the current petition regarding a discontinuation of the use of Duet insecticide, I do agree with the general sentiment of the petition. First, Duet, as with all pesticides, has significant undesirable effects on non-target organisms. Notably, as past experience has demonstrated again and again (e.g., DTT, Roundup, BT corn), pesticides always have unintended effects on non-target organisms, but such non-target effects are often not discovered until after damage has been done. The fact that Duet is a synthetic version of a naturally-occurring chemical does not mean that is necessarily safe, or safer than non-natural chemicals, or that is does not have non-target effects. I do not want my children exposed to Duet, and I do not want beneficial insects, birds, and other animals exposed to Duet. Second, the method used to administer Duet in Ottawa Hills is highly ineffective: it is released by misting trucks along community streets, where relatively few adult mosquitos are present (most of our mosquitos are present in or near vegetation in parks, backyards, or near the Ottawa River). Hence, the current use of Duet in Ottawa Hills is largely a waste of taxpayer monies. Third, there are other methods for mosquito control that are less toxic, and no less efficient, than using Duet as we do in Ottawa Hills (e.g., insect traps, encouraging our bat population). Lastly, the use of Duet or other insecticides in large-scale misting programs is really a “public relations gimmick”- it satisfies public demand for action, even though it is known to be of limited effectiveness. Thank you for your consideration of this important matter. Dr. Scott Heckathorn, PhD Village resident and Professor of Biology and Environmental Sciences, U. Toledo
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Please consider the wildlife. My garden used to be full of butterflies before they started this spraying. It is heartbreaking to see what it is doing to our town.