Here we go again. The Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District has announced that they are going to be conducting aerial spraying of a chemical poison over the cities of Orange, Tustin, Villa Park and portions of Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Stanton between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, and Thursday, September 10, 2015 (weather permitting).
The chemical is called Duet. This is a mosquito control product registered for use by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That said it is a terrible idea to spray this product. Duet is highly toxic to other insects, such as bees. It is also deadly to fish.
While the Vector Control District says that there is no need to stay indoors – what about the homeless? Should they be out there getting sprayed? Should they be breathing that stuff?
The fact is that most mosquitoes in Orange County are already infected with the West Nile virus so why resort to this silly spraying?
The answer is insidious. The Vector Control District exists because they take our money via property assessments. They can only justify their existence by scaring the public. That is what this spraying operation is all about.
There is no reason to spray a toxic mist all over the County. Very few people die from this disease and in fact the most liable to get sick are the homeless because so many of them sleep outside.
If you want to avoid the West Nile Virus then don’t go outside after dark. If you do then be sure to wear long pants and sleeves and use mosquito repellent.
The homeless should be provided with mosquito repellent and temporary housing rather than douse them with toxic chemicals.
Please call the Vector Control District and complain at (714) 971-2421 or (949) 654-2421, or visit www.ocvcd.org.
And take the time to complain to the lame Vector Control District Board Members and Staff and to our local elected officials:
- Michael Hearst, OC Vector Control District Manager – Email. (714) 971-2421, Ext. 129.
- Chairman of the OC Board of Supervisors Todd Spitzer – Email. (714) 834-3330.
- Supervisor Andrew Do – Email. (714) 834.3110. (Represents Santa Ana – and he serves on the OC Vector Control Board)
- Supervisor Shawn Nelson – Email. (714) 834-3440.
- Supervisor Michelle Steel – Email. (714) 834-3220.
- Supervisor Lisa Bartlett – Email. (714) 834-3550
- The Santa Ana City Council. Email them here.
- Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez, Ward 2. Email her here and here. Call her at (714) 887-9845.
- Santa Ana Councilman David Benavides, Ward 4. Email him here and here. Call him at (714) 475-1630.
- Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero, Ward 6. Email him here and here. Call him at (714) 552-2800.
- Santa Ana Councilman Roman Reyna, Ward 5. Email him here. Call him at 714-647-6900. (He also represents Santa Ana on the OC Vector Control Board)
- Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Vince Sarmiento, Ward 1. Email him here. Call him at 714-647-6900.
- Santa Ana Councilwoman Angie Amezcua, Ward 3. Email her here. Call her at 714-647-6900.
- Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. Email him here. Call him at 714-647-6900.
- Santa Ana City Manager David Cavazos. Email him here. Call him at (714) 647-5200.
- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has oversight over the spraying of insecticides. Their Director in Southern California is Steven Leonido-John – Email. (213) 244-1804.
There is no need for this nonsense! Please leave “US” alone! Us in our cities within Orange County. We don’t need this! We can fight this! We need clean fresh air not more polluted air!!! Why is this more important? Worry about other things our Cities need! This “mosquito spray” will kill other innocent insects and or living creatures! What about our Pets that have to be outside??? What about them huh? This can be detrimental to our children and ourselves and all of them!!! Some of us also have to sleep with the windows open because it’s been so HOT. We can’t afford AC! So Please don’t! Think of all the children, innocent people, living creatures like the bees that we need not yourselves! Leave Us Alone!
I love the smell of Duet in the morning ….
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nx5N-4JvVyk
Amen! You are speaking truth. I have been trying to spread the word for 2 days now. Thank you for this article!
You idiots have no idea what you are talking about. You could drink this stuff and it wouldn’t hurt you – same for your pets. You need fresh air? Really? What does killing disease carrying mosquitoes have to do with fresh air? NOTHING. Other than you will be able to go outside and ENJOY fresh air with less danger of being bitten by disease carrying insects – so be happy and THANK the people who are working diligently to improve the quality of your life and stop whining. Try to make time between singing kumbaya and passing the bong to educate yourselves about pyrethroids and how they work so you won’t get yourself in a tizzy over something so silly. If you have the fortitude, learn about malaria and how deadly it is – how many children around the world suffer and die from it – then find out how we eradicated it from this country.
If it’s so harmless what about the bees?
Hey Genius – bees are diurnal: that means they sleep in their hive at night which is one reason the spraying is done at night – to minimize the impact on bees. Of course the spray is not harmless to insects, otherwise what would be the point?!
It is HARMLESS to people and other warm blooded creatures (dogs, cats, horses, etc.) You fools really should do some research before you start causing a panic over nothing……..Get a grip on reality!
There is no reason to spray. We’re in a huge drought and there is no mosquito problem. Vector Control is just trying to justify their budget.
Theres no mosquitoes?? Then why are my children being eaten alive by them every single night while they are sleeping??
Because you need new window screens?
It is absolutely NOT harmless. Pesticides cause cancer, asthma, and a host of other physical ailments! They should only be spraying the areas where infected mosquitoes have been found such as Peppertree Park area on First Street in Tustin.
Gosh, we’ve had no rain and its hotter than ever, how could we possibly be producing mosquitoes?
Thank you!!!
Let us not forget about the NEW mosquito buzzing around California, carrying VERY DEADLY DISEASES!!
http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=92995
The only reason they’re spraying is to justify their budget
It’s not harmless at all! It’s a pesticide!
More and more chemicals!!!! This is pathetic! Let’s start calling our reps people! Think of your kids at least!
Grow a brain people. The gut trucks you all eat off of and the cheap beer will kill you, not the spray. They’ve been doing it for years and not telling you. Dead yet? Please, do your research. Duh.
They canceled the spraying a few years ago, and there was no impact. And why so little warning over the Labor Day break? And why just primarily over Santa Ana?
Exactly. You are asking the right questions!
Duet is a synthetic version of Pyrethrin (which comes from chrysanthemums) which is toxic in LARGE doses only. It is much safer than the alternative and is used by home gardeners. It will be sprayed by licensed professionals. They will be spraying a very small amount over OC. The equivalent of a tablespoon to the size of a football field. It breaks down in two days from sunlight. It will kill the mosquitoes which are carrying disease. While West Nile Virus may not kill the average person, it can make them very ill and has the potential to hospitalize them. That means harming others. It is the humane thing to do to use our advanced knowledge of how to control disease to help others-that is humanitarian. They are not the ones spreading fear-they are helping us to manage public health, to help us live healthy lives without having to miss work or school and accrue unnecessary hospital bills, or go through the pain of this sickness. This is an irrational fear that you are publishing and scaring people into thinking this pesticide is scary. You are the ones spreading fear and lies. I see it all over my facebook page. People are horrified because of mis-information. The alternative are much more toxic organo-phosphates (or even DDT). The bee keepers can cover their bees to protect them and then the pesticide will be decomposed in up to two days. All people can be outside and it will not harm them because the concentration is so low. Homeless are people too, therefore they can be outside too. It will be sprayed in particular over tree-heavy areas where the insects live. It is not going to be sprayed over water-ways, so the fish need not worry. If there is a high wind that will cause drift to waterways, the flight will be cancelled and rescheduled. There is no rain so there is no worry of the pesticide being washed into streams by the time it decomposes.
Again there was late notice and the spraying isn’t necessary. No deaths this year and only 1% are affected.
What kind of trees exactly are you spraying at? Shade is the one place that people drift to for protection in this unbearably hot weather. Are these indigenous or invasive trees? Can we avoid planting the worst offenders in our neighborhoods? Why can’t you treat the specific trees and label them rather than broadcasting this stuff in unidentifiable locations that people can knowingly avoid?
What upsets people is that these chemicals are invisible and they don’t have signs on them so people can intentionally keep their children away from these locations. Why can’t you tent and treat the trees that are the worst offenders?
Additionally, in this hot weather people want to open their windows in the evening, especially if they can not afford to run their air conditioning. During heat waves like this it is still quite hot well into the wee hours of the morning after 12am.
It’s not reasonable to start spraying something like that as early as 10pm.
Scott Prowans – exactly how much duet is safe to drink? Are you willing to drink it yourself?
Or would you be like the other rhetoric spewing coward who talked about the safety of drinking roundup until it was presented in front of them and then suddenly chickened out?
Put up or stfu!
If its such a great idea, let’s ask the citizens of Villa Park, Newport Beach or Laguna what they think about being sprayed with this pesticide. So it breaks down after two days. Into what exactly..
When I visit my parents in the midwest there are bugs and weeds everywhere outside where they belong. In CA, you are all so OCD about bugs and weeds I can’t walk on the grass in the park without getting a reaction from all the chemicals. Heaven forbid you run into a bug at the park.
If you must spray something for a good reason restrict these chemicals used in civic and corporate locations to only those absolutely required for health reasons. But only!! after you get rid of all the unnecessary chemicals that you are already wasting for the sake of aesthetics.
After awhile, 1% here and there adds up to 20% exposure in the course of one day that no one can escape from.
In the midwest where I grew up, farmers have some of the highest rates of chronic diseases because they work in a cocktail of these chemicals every day. Now the rate of birth defects in the paradise of Hawaii has doubled with their introduction. No one is making this stuff up.
Does anyone know if the spraying is cancelled due to the rain??? Vector Control was already closed when I called.
Only if it is raining at 10 pm.