Photo: Sheryl Pollock
Reduce pesticides for human and environmental health
Pesticides are occasionally necessary to prevent disease transmission to humans, but improper use of pesticides can have health and environmental risks. Reduce pesticide exposure by trying preventative and less toxic pest management first. On those rare occasions when a pesticide is necessary, read the product label for precautions and safety instructions and consider hiring a qualified, licensed pest management professional to apply the pesticide safely.
Reduce unintentional harm to beneficial insects:
Insecticides don’t just kill mosquitoes. They kill all insects, which includes fireflies, bees, butterflies, ladybugs, dragonflies and cicadas. Dragonflies eat large numbers of mosquitoes. Ladybugs living in your garden are beneficial insects that eat pests like aphids. Eliminating the beneficial insects that eat others can make pest problems worse. Bees and butterflies are important pollinators--without bees, food production suffers. Songbirds feed their babies a diet exclusively of insects and spiders. If we kill off the insects, we are killing off the birds, not to mention the frogs, bats and the rest of the ecosystem.
Smarter Pest Management: Protecting Pollinators at Home, Xerces Society
Protect water quality and reduce harm to fish and other aquatic wildlife:
Stormwater runoff carries pesticides and other pollutants to streams via storm drains. Much of the drinking water in Northern Virginia comes from the Potomac River and the Occoquan. Insecticidal sprays that end up in bodies of water directly harm fish and other aquatic wildlife. To reduce the harm to non-target animals, use non-chemical control methods. If that is not enough, use larvicides such as Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), which is safer than targeting adults with insecticides.
Pesticides and Aquatic Animals: A Guide to Reducing Impacts on Aquatic Systems, Virginia Cooperative Extension
Reduce the costs of unnecessary spraying:
Use Integrated Pest Management to identify, prevent, and control pests efficiently and with minimal negative impacts. Choose an appropriate approach with minimal negative impacts to human and environmental health. Just as antibiotics are not the solution to every illness and overuse can cause antibiotic resistance, pesticides are often inappropriate solutions to pests. Routine use can lead to pesticide resistance and a bigger problem in the future.
Introduction to Integrated Pest Management, Environmental Protection Agency
Control Mosquitoes and Ticks with Integrated Pest Management:
Identification
Identify the pest and whether it is a problem or just an annoyance. Contact a local VCE extension agent for assistance identifying the pest.
Not all mosquitoes and ticks carry disease. The public health department sprays for mosquitoes when there is evidence of disease transmission. The benefits of spraying pesticides are weighed against the health and environmental costs.
Prevention
Reduce mosquito habitat by dumping stagnant water collecting in downspouts, the saucers under pots, etc. Organize a community clean-up day to remove sources of standing water such as tires and plastic litter. Empty and refill birdbaths every 3-5 days.
Promote a balanced ecosystem that supports beneficial insects by growing native plants. Remove invasive introduced plants such as English Ivy and Japanese Barberry that harbor mosquitoes and ticks.
Keep playgrounds and other high-use areas away from the edge of woods.
Reduce your exposure to mosquitoes and ticks – wear long sleeves, tuck your pant legs into your socks, use DEET, install a fan on your porch or patio.
Targeted use of larvicide
If standing water cannot be dumped and chemical intervention is necessary, use a larvicide such as Bti that kills mosquito larvae in water. Larvicidal mosquito dunks are more targeted than adulticidal sprays and pose less risk to fish and bees. Only use larvicides to treat water that will not be used for drinking.
Mosquito Control: What you need to know about Using Larvicides, CDC
Spray for mosquitoes only for a public health emergency
Insecticides should be targeted to areas of mosquito and tick habitat such as ivy, bamboo, and brush. Never spray around fruit and vegetable gardens or flowers in bloom. People and pets should stay away from the treatment area for an hour or until the product has dried. Adulticides should be used as a last resort, not as a preventative measure.
Monitor results
Do not sign up for routine spraying of insecticides on a set schedule. Monitor treatment results and update your pest control plan regularly based on the results.
Do more: Check out the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia’s Audubon at Home program for information on the Healthy Yard Pledge and Wildlife Sanctuary Certification. Audubon at Home Ambassadors provide complimentary, personalized advice to homeowners and communities on choosing native plants, removing invasive plants, and other actions to create wildlife habitat.