This is what Mr. Henley had to say about resmethrin and the spraying project:
We have done truck mounted aerosol applications of resmethrin to control mosquitoes in Framingham this year. We have recently concluded our most recent round of applications. Our surveillance traps indicate that the mosquito population has declined in Framingham to the point where no further applications are planned unless flooding rains in August produce a new brood of floodwater mosquitoes or there is a high imminent risk of West Nile Virus.
Currently, the West Nile Virus cycle is just beginning. To date there have been 6 birds and 1 mosquito trap collection where West Nile Virus has been isolated. It appears as though West Nile Virus is developing slower than it did last year when there were 22 cases including 3 fatalities in the metropolitan Boston area. Typically August and September are the risk periods for West Nile Virus.
Resmethrin has been extensively tested. I am not aware of any studies that indicate that applications of resmethrin to control mosquitoes have been found to cause any long term effects on children. I do believe that it's possible that a few people may experience temporary health effects such as respiratory discomfort.
Resmethrin does not affect birds, frogs and most beneficial insects. It does impact small insects that fly at night.
While he sounds like a very well-intentioned individual, I find it hard to believe that resmethrin does not impact the environment adversely. If anyone has any hard info regarding studies of the safety and efficacy of this pesticide, please forward it to Mr. Henley.
By the way, I recently invested in a Mosquito Magnet, which is sold at Home Depot. Expensive, but our mosquito population dwindled to a quarter of what it was even before the spraying.
Elise Snow
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