Mosquito Spraying

[SAMIAM]

Wondering if this is a good idea. Neighbors hired one of those services that sprays for mosquitos and ticks. They were told it was EPA approved and harmless to other life forms but we're not seeing any insects at our house now.
On the plus side we don't have hornets around the shed and decks and glad the dock spiders are gone...also no Japanese beetles.
But miss the butterflies, bees and dragonflies that land on us when we're floating on our swim rafts.
We have an occasional bumble bee and a stray butterfly now and then but it's almost spooky having no bugs around.
We have great neighbors....share everything and help each other out always but should I ask them to go easy on the spraying?

[Descant]

I remember when the town used to spray with a helicopter. Everybody was told to cover their cars to protect the paint.

I have a quarterly pest control service. They check for mice and other rodents, ants, etc. and clean and re-bait traps. Spraying is limited to a hand sprayer around the foundation and eaves or other locations if hornets are present. As a separate service, they do tick control around the yard perimeter. Again, hand spray, and/or granular, so there should be no overflow to neighbors.
At camp, we can't spray because we're too close to the water. Some years we have a lot of mosquitoes, other years, none. Same with flies that bite.

Talk to the neighbor and to the service company. You may just be in a cycle where there aren't many bugs. Do you still have birds? How are your butterfly garden plants doing?

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by Descant

I remember when the town used to spray with a helicopter. Everybody was told to cover their cars to protect the paint.

I have a quarterly pest control service. They check for mice and other rodents, ants, etc. and clean and re-bait traps. Spraying is limited to a hand sprayer around the foundation and eaves or other locations if hornets are present. As a separate service, they do tick control around the yard perimeter. Again, hand spray, and/or granular, so there should be no overflow to neighbors.
At camp, we can't spray because we're too close to the water. Some years we have a lot of mosquitoes, other years, none. Same with flies that bite.

Talk to the neighbor and to the service company. You may just be in a cycle where there aren't many bugs. Do you still have birds? How are your butterfly garden plants doing?

Now that you mention it most of the birds have gone. Haven't seen hummingbirds, robins jays, finches sparrows etc. Plenty of water birds. Ducks, geese cormorants, loons as well as eagles and hawks are still around. Ravens are still here but the song birds are gone.

[FlyingScot]

I have done a fair bit of work in the safety testing industry. "EPA approved" may mean a product is safe, or it may mean it was grandfathered before testing was required, or it may mean that they didn't think testing was necessary; and in any case, it's not fool-proof. Many safety issues are discovered only after years of use. DDT is a good example of something that was thought to be safe, but then obviously was not. I think Sam's right to wonder how it kills ONLY mosquitoes and nothing else is affected. We only use pesticides in cases where they are absolutely necessary.

[SAB1]

Nothing causes lymphoma like pesticides and fertilizers…..

[Flylady]

Given that the poison was spayed I am sure it does not know bad bugs from good bugs. Since birds depend on insects they have moved to where the food is. Separately, spraying near the water insures the pesticide will wash off into the water when it rains.

[WinnisquamZ]

Remember this was done to school children for lice




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[John Mercier]

We've had more ticks and grasshoppers this year... but, at least it seems, a lot less mosquitoes.

With all the rain, the flowers have been hit or miss, so I presumed that would be part of the problem.

I know the wild turkeys have had a field day with the ticks and grasshoppers, as we see them in the yard quite a bit.

Maybe the increase in flower varieties I am planning this fall might make next year will restore the balance.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Wondering if this is a good idea. Neighbors hired one of those services that sprays for mosquitos and ticks. They were told it was EPA approved and harmless to other life forms but we're not seeing any insects at our house now.
On the plus side we don't have hornets around the shed and decks and glad the dock spiders are gone...also no Japanese beetles.
But miss the butterflies, bees and dragonflies that land on us when we're floating on our swim rafts.
We have an occasional bumble bee and a stray butterfly now and then but it's almost spooky having no bugs around.
We have great neighbors....share everything and help each other out always but should I ask them to go easy on the spraying?

Whatever they're spraying--to affect even the neighbors--it sounds like it was mixed improperly!

We're missing bugs and birds here in Wolfeboro, but the blue dragonflies are here--aplenty. The crawlspace is absent of all bug life--even spiders.

Dock spiders apparently don't like this high water, 'haven't seen one for several weeks. They're all probably hiding in the wild blueberry bushes!

[TheTimeTraveler]

I had a terrible problem with Ticks in June and most of July. Now I haven't seen one for about two weeks. I am thinking that the excessive rain may have had something to do with their sudden disappearance but who knows for sure.....

Anyone else notice less ticks these days or is it just my imagination?

[John Mercier]

Originally Posted by TheTimeTraveler

I had a terrible problem with Ticks in June and most of July. Now I haven't seen one for about two weeks. I am thinking that the excessive rain may have had something to do with their sudden disappearance but who knows for sure.....

Anyone else notice less ticks these days or is it just my imagination?

I haven't come in contact with any recently... but I don't know if that means their numbers are down, or the wildlife that they hitch a ride on is just moving around less.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Descant

I remember when the town used to spray with a helicopter. Everybody was told to cover their cars to protect the paint.

I have a quarterly pest control service. They check for mice and other rodents, ants, etc. and clean and re-bait traps. Spraying is limited to a hand sprayer around the foundation and eaves or other locations if hornets are present. As a separate service, they do tick control around the yard perimeter. Again, hand spray, and/or granular, so there should be no overflow to neighbors.
At camp, we can't spray because we're too close to the water. Some years we have a lot of mosquitoes, other years, none. Same with flies that bite.

Talk to the neighbor and to the service company. You may just be in a cycle where there aren't many bugs. Do you still have birds? How are your butterfly garden plants doing?

Mosquitos carrying West Nile disease have been discovered in Salem, NH.
https://www.wmur.com/article/west-ni...-2021/37349055