On August 1, 2008, the CDFA plans to aerial spray the San Francisco Bay Area with a time-released pesticide against the Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM). (View warning label for CheckMate-F, a close predecessor to Checkmate OLF-F, which has been sprayed over Monterey and Santa Cruz counties.)
San Francisco, East Bay, Marin, and other residential areas will be sprayed every 30-90 days for 2-10 years. The CDFA has been given permission and funding through Homeland Security to spray the pesticide on private property without consent by owners.
Every 30-90 days for 2-10 years? I hadn't heard that part. This is very disturbing, especially as precedent. Who knows what crap they could start putting in their sprays? I sure hope enough Californians speak out against this to nip it in the bud.
The SF Board of Supervisors deserves credit for doing just that -- I heard they voted against it, which I presume refers to them approving this item on the agenda for this past Tuesday's meeting:
Has anyone looked into exactly what they'll be spraying? It looks like they may just be spraying pheromones, which should be harmless and not the typical neurotoxic chemicals found in household pest sprays.
http://www.panna.org/resources/lbam#pesticides
Full disclosure and independent testing of the ingredients of the spray does seem worth fighting for though.
Btw, a hip household tip: since they breath through their skin, most insects and particularly ants can be killed by directly spraying them with a mist of soapy water.
The issue for me is not whether it's harmless.
The issue is they're spraying me and paying for it using money they stole from me.
Moreover, once we get used to being harmlessly sprayed on by the state, the toxic chemicals will be easier to slip by us.
Remember how to cook a frog (very gradually).
Best, Michael