NO SPRAY NASHVILLE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT STOPPING UNNECESSARY
SPRAYING! WHAT IS NEXT?
The last time the Metro Public Health Department mass sprayed Nashville neighborhoods for mosquitoes was in
2008. Since then, the director of health at the Metro Public Health
Department finally agreed that:
1. Transmission of West Nile virus
from mosquitoes to humans is exceedingly rare in Nashville.
2. The
department could do a better job using the least toxic controls before
they sprayed. (After we exposed the fact that the Health Department
failed to use the least toxic controls available before spraying.)
His response was to raise the threshold for spraying so much that it
is quite unlikely Nashville neighborhoods will be mass sprayed again as
a control for West Nile virus.
We put together a report using the
department's own data. It showed when they sprayed one neighborhood in
Antioch four and a half times in 2008 it did not reduce mosquitoes. In
fact, mosquito populations increased a number of times immediately after
spraying.
So, what is next? We will continue to keep an
eye on what non-toxic actions the department takes to manage mosquitoes
when populations are high or disease is present. We are working to reduce pesticide use or improve
policies in schools, parks, and government agencies. We will continue
to work on education and outreach to citizens.
Improving
School Policies - Make sure your child's school or day care has a
good integrated pest management policy and follows it.
EXCELLENT TIPS FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL
We highly recommend that
citizens take advantage of the most effective and economic form of
mosquito control (source: the Center for Disease Control) - go
outside, look for, and dump standing water. See
our Neighborhood Flyer for a number of excellent mosquito control
tips. Share our flyer with your neighbors. Remember - a mosquito that
cannot hatch cannot bite!
BEWARE OF EXTERMINATING COMPANIES MAKING PROMISES OF "MOSQUITO-FREE"
OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
There are some new local franchises (like
Mosquito Squad and BuzzOff) that will come spray your yard every 21 days
or install a
misting system. Any company that makes mosquito-free claims is
looking to make money on people's fears. Not only will it hurt your
pocket book, it is a risk to your health and the environment.
If your backyard is full of mosquitoes, you have a breeding ground close
by. Does it make sense to use poison over and over or eliminate the
source of the problem and use personal protection? See our Neighborhood
Flyer link (above) to learn about safe and effective mosquito control.
Knowledge is power!
JUDGE RULES
METRO SPRAY TRUCK DRIVER BREACHED HIS DUTY AND WAS NEGLIGENT IN
PEDESTRIAN SPRAYING INCIDENT. Metro must pay for the man's emergency room visits.
Click here for
article!
LEARN FROM THE PAST - VOW
TO NEVER LET OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT VIOLATE OUR TRUST AND OUR HEALTH
AGAIN From 2003-2008, Nashville's Metro Public Health Department
violated federal law, sprayed pedestrians with pesticides, failed to
follow their own policies, and constantly failed to use common sense
protocols when trying to manage mosquitoes. Click here to
learn more about these violations.
NO SPRAY DOES NOT MEAN NO
MOSQUITO CONTROL!
Cities that elected to use safer methods of mosquito control have
controlled mosquitoes and West Nile virus as well as those that have
sprayed. (See
our comparative analysis.) So, if there are less toxic and
less costly methods available that are equally as effective, why
would our city spray our neighborhoods with pesticide?
No Spray Nashville worked for six years to bring RESPONSIBLE MOSQUITO
CONTROL to Nashville! Learn about local
scientists who spoke out.
Improving
School Policies
