Article Author:
Associated Press
John Flecher
Cascade Township (AP), Michigan — An increasingly common sight in US cities and suburbs. A van stops at the curb. Workers wearing gloves, masks, and other protective clothing straps on backpack-type mechanisms with plastic hoses resembling leaf blowers.
Speed up your motors and drenched trees, bushes, and even the walls of your home with pesticides aimed at the age-old threat of mosquitoes.
Winged, spiny-legged vampires have long been a nuisance to backyard barbecues and carriers of serious diseases in tropical countries. Now, as climate change extends the range of insects and prolongs their peak season, more Americans are turning to the booming industry of professional garden spraying.
25}``If you love being outside, it's definitely more fun not to slap mosquitoes and worry about all the problems,'' says a recent Cascade Township, Michigan Customer Marty Marino said. , a bedroom community near Grand Rapids.
But scientists fearing that overuse of pesticides is harming pollinators and exacerbating the growing threat to insect-eating birds are concerned about chemical bombardment.
"The substances these companies spray kill all bugs," says George Washington University environmental health professor and former deputy administrator for toxics at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. says Lynn Goldman.
"This includes bees, butterflies, and all sorts of beneficial bugs that people probably don't like but should," Goldman said. "It's not good for this kind of indiscriminate killing to destroy whole ecosystems."
According to the journal Biological Conservation, 40% of the world's insect species More are endangered, including pollinator bees and butterflies.
Spray companies, which are expanding in response to surging demand, seek to minimize pollinator losses, but admit collateral damage.
} Mosquito Joe, which treated Marino and nearby gardens on a damp morning in July, avoids spraying on windy days when the venom sprays flowering plants that attract bees, Lou Schaeger said. Virginia Beach, Virginia.
"We need pollinators," said David Price, the company's director of technical services. “They are incredibly important. It reported a "dramatic" increase in diseases spread by other blood donors. Zika virus, Chikungunya virus and West Nile virus have broken out in the United States, while tropical Asian tiger and yellow fever strain mosquitoes are now common in Southern states and are beginning to plague Southern California.
According to Edward Walker, a professor of entomology at Michigan State University, climate change has caused Michigan's mosquito season to begin and end about a month longer than it did decades ago, with a warmer climate.
Meanwhile, mosquito spray revenues are soaring, according to trade publication Pest Control Technologies. Pest control companies are adding mosquitoes to their traditional services, and new companies are focusing on mosquitoes.
Industry-wide totals were not available. However, more than 70% of pest control companies surveyed last year offer this service, up from 38% in 2014. In 2021, it generated almost one-fifth of the company's revenue.
Daniel Markowski, a technical adviser to the American Mosquito Control Association, a non-profit organization with 1,200 members that began the Zika epidemic that began in 2015 and spread to more than 80 countries. He said the visit spurred a surge in business.
"It was all over the media," said Markowski. "I've had a lot of pest control companies say, 'Oh my God, I could make a lot of money with housing services.'"
Founded in 2010, Mosquito Joe is now 39. It has 173 franchises in the states, Schager said.
Many companies employ a "residual barrier" strategy, spraying pesticides around their premises that typically last for weeks. If the mosquito perches on a bush or tree, it will be lethal.
For garden treatments, companies typically use synthetic mimics called pyrethrins (insecticides produced by chrysanthemum flowers) or pyrethroids.
The federal government says the chemical is safe for humans and nearly harmless to birds when used as directed. But they are deadly to fish and bees, and indirectly harm birds by killing the insects they feed on, Goldman said. The 3 billion loss of birds to the world consists primarily of insect-eating birds. It asks for a lot of information and says it can order label changes if necessary.
Critics also say that if mosquitoes could be kept away by simpler methods such as emptying stagnant water sources or running fans, homeowners would benefit from the company.
According to the Mosquito Control Association, companies will first clear out mosquito breeding areas, and if testing determines they need it, rather than on a set schedule. It should be distributed only to
Dan Killingsworth, director of operations for Environmental Security Pest Control, based in Panama City Beach, Florida, said, "If I had a job, my mosquito services would be needed in the future." No. "If you can get the mosquitoes on your premises down to a point where it's not a problem, you might be able to get rid of the service." Ski said. "They just come out and spray your property and leave." It says it sprays every 3-4 weeks and claims it needs regular treatment to disrupt the breeding cycle.
Michigan homeowner Marino says he's experimenting with an optional water spray mixed with "essential he oils" extracted from plants such as garlic, lemongrass, peppermint and rosemary. say. About 10% of Mosquito Joe's customers use this option, but most prefer the long-lasting pyrethroids, Price says.
The company charges about $90 for treatments with pyrethroids, while oils are about 20% more expensive, he said. I like to eat the wood chips that have been cut," said Marino. "If you have synthetic pesticides on it, that's a big concern." It is supported by several private foundations. Learn more about AP's climate initiatives here. AP is solely responsible for all content.