Last week some people came by door to door offering Mosquito fogging. Many in my neighborhood already do regularly but many more jumped on this.
The salesperson was flabbergasted when I said no and he replied "you are one of those weird people that like mosquitoes?!?"… "No", I replied, "the fogging kills bees and all benefitial insects as well". "No it doesn't, it's for mosquitos only" he exclaimed with surprise. They sell a lie – the poison doesn't descriminate (the mosquito fogging or even the cockroach and other treatments people get). Every year it seems I see less and less bees (I haven't seen any on my flowers / veggies this year and last year it was few and far between).
Short of going door to door myself what can we do to educate? I've seen so many signs about lights off for bird flight, prevent oak wilt etc but could find any signs on something so important (other than for Decator GA pictured) or "do not spray my pollinator garden" which doesn't educate that they are actually killing the benefitial insects. Anyone know any places in Austin with signs like I found for Decatur or have other ideas?
by MysteryMachineATX
6 Comments
I find it more effective to point out that the spraying is useless if all your neighbours don’t also do it. It takes one yard for mosquitos to spawn from
Yeah, pest control sales people are awful. They straight up lie about nearly everything.
not only does it kill all the bugs. But given most people are probably spraying pyrethroids and doing so when it is humid, they are probably also killing amphibians and fish when the rain washes the chemical into our streams!
It’s so frustrating. I work hard to have biodiversity in my garden and it’s upsetting to see the fogger creeping over. The leaf blowers are also annoying af.
I think education and giving people a better alternative really helps- you can’t just say “it’s bad” because all people care about is solving their mosquito issues. I’ve got three of my neighbors on board with using mosquito dunks and fans instead. It’s more effective and affordable anyway! I’ve been thinking about making a little flier with instructions/visuals.
[https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKKuSseOWJx/?igsh=MWp1bW93bnp5bHl3Mw==](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKKuSseOWJx/?igsh=MWp1bW93bnp5bHl3Mw==)
“it’s for mosquitos only”
“ok so then you’d have no real problem spraying some directly in your face and just let yourself linger in it?”
I’d love to see that conversation.
I’ve had some success with creating mosquito habitat and adding dunks.