Worried about spraying of insecticide
What chemicals do the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU) spray from the plane and from the fogger trucks? I see that there are protests in Miami concerning the spraying of Naled, which is said to cause birth defects of all things. It has caused me to question what we are using and what the possible side effects of it may be.
Auntie’s answer: I can understand your concern considering all the stories about pesticides and spraying to control mosquitos and the spread of Zika. To clarify the issue, I asked the MRCU.
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Right up front, you should know that the unit does not used Naled, though it does carry US Environmental Protection Agency approval when applied according to label instructions.
As to what pesticides are in play in Cayman, an MRCU official explained, “For routine mosquito control we use either Aquareslin (permethrin + PBO) or Deltagard (reduced risk insecticide with deltamethrin as the active ingredient). For Aedes aegypti control we also use Mosquito Mist II (chlorpyrifos) due to the fact Aedes aegypti is resistant to permethrin. Larvicides used are Natular and Bti.”
I realise the above may be too much information for some people, but I felt in this instance it was better to be as specific as possible, and I thank the MRCU for all the detail.
To ease your fears a bit more, I asked if any of the insecticides pose any risk. Here is what I was told: “MRCU only uses the safest insecticides available. Although Naled is not used in Cayman it is still a very effective and safe insecticide. It does not persist in the environment and at the doses applied for mosquito control does not pose any health risk. We do not use it here as our Aedes aegypti is susceptible to the newer reduced risk insecticides such as Deltagard.”
If there is anything more you would like to know, you can email the MRCU.
Category: Ask Auntie
Chemical product safety fact sheets are required by EPA and those info sheets have been posted on or linked from the http://www.MRCU.ky website for years. MRCU are among the most transparent of all CIG departments in that regard.
Of course insecticides pose NO risk. There would be no other answers from MRCU.
And they add “the safest insecticides available” into their morning coffee cups.
These are the times we live in. No escape. Either accept the risks or move to to…..where? every place in this world seems to be poisoned to its core.
Safe solutions for mosqutoes control seem never cross MRCU’ minds.
It’s a beautiful world…wait …it is used to be.