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Alternative Mosquito Control Resources
While communicating
his agreement to endorse this  Open Letter, Dr. David
Suzuki recommended
that it should include
alternatives to pesticide use. Following are some resources which offer
alternatives to pesticides for mosquito control.
The Best Control
for Mosquitoes by Steve Tvedten
Part One. Information and background
Part Two. Alternatives
Michigan
State University provides great
suggestions for Natural Pest Control.
Environment
Canada has good advice in their
fact sheets:
Non-pesticidal control of
insects
Endocrine Disrupting Substances
in the Environment
Information on
non-toxic mosquito control products from
down under can be found at Diana's Favourite Links.
The
Sierra Club describes non-toxic mosquito control
methods.
CROW recommends the following Non-Toxic Mosquito Control
alternatives.
Recommendations for
safe mosquito control are included
in the Canadian
Coalition for Health & EnvironmentCCHE Position Paper on WNv.
Beyond
Pesticides
have these fact
sheets
Backyard Mosquito Management
Least Toxic Control Of Mosquitoes
and an excellent
paper by Dr. K. GottfriedRecommendations for Mosquito Control
Programs in Tennessee.
You will find amazing resources in their Tools for Activists!
Check out these
alternatives to pesticides.
Coca-Cola:
Things Grow Better With Coke
published in The Guardian, Nov 2
Protein:
Proteins Show Promise for
Mosquito Control
Cinnamon:
Cinnamon Oil Kills Mosquitoes
http://www.rense.com/general54/coinn.htm
Dragonflies:
Wells Maine Dragonfly project
Build
a Dragonfly pond
Dragonfly Pond
restoration project promotes cultural awareness in Japan
Garlic:
Read this article, City's Spraying Does More Harm than
Good
for information on studies with garlic.
www.mosquitobarrier.com
www.mosquitoczar.com
Virus:
Baculovirus kills mosquitoes
Windmills:
Markham aims to blow away West Nile
with windmills
Vacuuming:
Flushing & vacuuming catch
basins advised for Niagara region
If you're looking for alternatives for all pest
control
needs, Ask the Bugman!
Alternative
Weed Control Resources
You know you're winning
when the retailers come on board. Here is Canadian Tire telling
consumers how to have a great lawn
without using pesticides.
Check out the Manitoba
Eco-Network organic
lawn
care workshops posted on their website, along with lots of
great tips and check also the Compost
Action Project
of RCM for their basic composting workshops. Learn how to have a
healthy lawn without using harmful chemicals
like pesticides and fertilizers.
Check out BIRC,
the Bio Integrated Resource Centre, a non-profit centre dedicated to
helping provide less toxic solutions to pest
management. They publish the IPM Practitioner and Common Sense Pest Control Quarterly,
and many other publications.
Here's a helpful and brief article from
the
Prince George Citizen, Sat 08 Oct 2005,
You don't have to
battle bugs with drugs.
See these great fact sheets from Environment
Canada on alternatives to
pesticides for weed control.
12 Steps to Get Your Lawn Off
Drugs
Backyard Bug Brigade
Pesticide
Free Yards has loads of tips
from the
Sierra Club Chinook Group.
The Petitcodiac
Riverkeeper offers a great one pager
called Tips for Ecological Lawn Care.
Goats: Read this CBC article about goats.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/06/20/goats-dandelions.html?ref=rss
Corn:
Corn
Gluten Meal
as a herbicide
The NutriLawn
Company, founded in Winnipeg,
offers organic lawn care services.
Sugar Beets:
BJE
distri-organic, from Quebec, the
exclusive Canadian agent of
Greener Pastures, offers a revolutionary product derived from an
extract of the sugar beet.
rats and
mice:
Have
a look at CHEC Health - eNews
the e-mail newsletter of Children’s
Health Environmental
Coalition. You will learn what to do about
rats and mice.
What
is happening in
other jurisdictions?
We can thank Mike Christie for this list
of municipal cosmetic
pesticide bans across Canada.
OPM replaces IPM as the industry standard
to meet. Read about the new Organic Pest
Management policy in
Marblehead, Massachusetts, January, 2006.
The
state of Wisconson is
offering a new service. Residents there can now sign up with
a Landscape
Registry so that they can
be notified of pesticide/herbicide applications in their neighbourhood.
Read about the
legal battle that raged in New York City for 7 years, by the No Spray Coalition,
including the policy they proposed to the City of New York.
And the good guys win!
Read about the settlement, April 12, 2007.
Read this Canadian Best Practices Review
in which Winnipeg
participated.
Here are some articles from the Brandon Sun about the status of the proposed Brandon
by-law from February, 2006. Here is the bylaw. The first of its kind
for Manitoba!
Quebec is the first
province in Canada to ban
pesticides. Read this summary of the highlights of the Pesticide Code of Quebec.
Read the complete Pesticide Management Code of
Quebec.
- Newfoundland and Labrador
Thanks to Paule Hjertaas and www.snapinfo.ca
in Saskatchewan:
Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 6:37 AM
Subject: Newfoundland and Labrador - Changes to Pesticides
ControlRegulations
On April 11, 2007, an amendment to the Pesticides Control Act, under the
Environmental Protection Act, was brought into force. This
follows a
lengthy process of public consultation, discussions with various
industry representatives, and meetings with other government
departments.
A copy of the actual amendment can be found at:
http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/annregs/2007/nr070049.htm
The consolidated regulations are available at:
http://www.hoa.gov.nl.ca/hoa/regulations/rc030057.htm
There have been several changes made. Some are more of a
housekeeping
nature, while others are more considerable. Some of the highlights
include:
1) vendors of domestic class pesticides will be licensed, and
some will
need to have certified staff to sell domestic class pesticides;
2) the removal of fertilizer/pesticide blend products from the
domestic market;
3) companies that use certain domestic class pesticides, for gain
or
reward, including apartment building superintendents, will need to have
a pesticide operator licence to do so;
4) the establishment of a schedule of exempted pesticides, for
which no
licensing is required for sale or use;
5) the ability to set terms and conditions for vendors of
pesticides,
domestic, commercial and restricted class (we will be working with
industry to develop this);
6) a restriction to the use of pesticides in public spaces;
7) a schedule of reduced risk pesticides that are permitted for
use by
licensed pesticide operators in public spaces;
8) the ability to set terms and conditions to applicator licences,
which will permit such terms and conditions to be applied to agriculture
and greenhouse applicators. The intent is to set conditions for
storage, weather conditions, and buffers from water and neighbours (we
will be working with industry to develop this);
9) a ticketing system has been established, for offences against
the
Act and Regulations, or against terms and conditions set out through
this legislation.
- Edmonton
The City of Edmonton
has a much more progressive attitude than Winnipeg re pesticides.
+ Their mosquito
control department is required to
obtain advanced written permission from the owner of every parcel of
land that it treats :)
+ They have a consolidated weed and insect control website and
spray-line,
where information is available daily on ALL spray operations :)
- They also still use Dursban :( for larviciding along with Bti
+ They stopped fogging in 1993 :)
+ They offer a Beneficial Insect Guide :)
Check out the Coalition for a Healthy Ottawa
Read how Toronto's
by-law has created a healthier city.
Ontario Court
of Appeal upholds Toronto's Pesticide By-law
(October 2005)
City of Guelph - Pesticides
After several years of study, 'best practices' review, and input
from various segments of the community, Guelph City Council recently
approved a by-law that will phase out the non-essential, or cosmetic,
use of pesticides in the city.
The by-law takes into account the pesticide by-laws of the cities of
Waterloo, London, Toronto and Peterborough; and the towns of Oakville
and Newmarket. As a result, Guelph's pesticide by-law is consistent
with those in other communities.
A phase-out and eventual ban of the non-essential use of pesticides
will happen gradually over a three year period, with an early focus of
educating residents about alternatives.
* Pesticide
Bylaw (PDF, 5 pages)
Healthy Lawns seminars
Managing Healthy Lawns
Tuesday, July 3, 2007, 7 to 8 p.m.
Co-operators Hall, River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich St.
In this seminar Dr. Eric Lyons from the University of Guelph will teach
the proper management of turfgrasses from establishment to maintenance,
including information on mowing, fertilization, aerification and
irrigation.
For a Review and
Provisional Guidelines Offered in
Support of the Operation of the Halifax Regional Municipality*
Pesticide By-law in 2004, check out www.versicolor.ca/lawns.
Real Alternatives to Pesticides
in the Environment
(RATE)
Pesticide ban
proposed for 'city of gardens'
(CBC, Oct 29 2004 )VICTORIA - Greater Victoria residents may be banned
from using virtually all pesticides and herbicides in their gardens by
next spring. The proposed Capital Regional District ban would include
common grass products, as well as organic phosphates used on ornamental
plants. Paul West, who heads the regional district committee looking
into the issue, says a proposed bylaw will likely be presented to area
councils in the spring. West says the bylaw would be tough to enforce,
but he believes home gardeners would abide by it. "Enforcement is
difficult, but there is a social pressure," he says. "For example
people in the CRD don't water their lawns when it's restricted. We're
looking for that kind of consensus here." West says organically-managed
gardens are among the most beautiful in the "city of gardens. "While
Victoria city councillors are supportive of the ban, a city bylaw
wouldn't ban its own parks and recreation department from using the
chemicals.
http://www.crd.bc.ca/rte/documents/crd_rte_pest_action.pdf
CRD background on plan
Tips on reducing pesticide use http://www.crd.bc.ca/rte/pest/info_res.htm
with thanks for this article to: www.creativeresistance.ca
Vancouver has become the latest
municipality in Canada to adopt a pesticide by-law
covering both private and public property. You can read more about
the City of Vancouver
pesticide
by-law by clicking on the url link below: Pesticide Use
Restriction By-law for 2006 http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/engsvcs/solidwaste/grownatural/pesticideUseBylaw.htm
Learn what you can
do to help reduce pesticide use in Saskatchewan.
Read this West
Nile virus background document
prepared for
Saskatchewan Health in 2003.
PEI makes
"sweeping
changes"
to its Pesticide Control Act. Read more about
it in this article from the Journal Pioneer News.
Ohio
City Adopts Landmark Law to Stop Pesticide
Spraying for West Nile Virus
(Beyond Pesticides Daily News, July 14, 2003) The City of Lyndhurst,
Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, passed a landmark ordinance on July 7,
2003 prohibiting the spraying of pesticides "in an effort to help
control the spread of the West Nile virus." The City's action follows a
community forum in which a panel of experts on mosquito management and
health effects of pesticides discussed the hazards and the lack of
efficacy associated with the spraying of adulticides, or pesticides
used to spray adult mosquitoes.
In adopting the groundbreaking ban, the City Council pointed to other
mosquito management methods that are known and accepted to be more
effective. The Council stated, "[T]here is substantial belief that the
more effective way of controlling the mosquito population is by
larvacide treatment and thorough education of the City's residents
regarding methods and procedures to minimize exposure to the virus." In
adopting the ordinance, the Council found that "the risk/benefit
analysis conducted by experts clearly indicates that the dangers of WNV
are minimal and affect a very small segment of the population and that
the long-term health and environmental risks of spraying with synthetic
pesticides poses a much greater risk." Other communities, such as Ft.
Worth, Texas and Washington, DC, have adopted administrative programs
that do not spray adulticides for West Nile Virus.
Read the Lyndhurst, Ohio ordinance
online.
To review the Royal
Commission on Environmental
Environmental Pollution: Pesticides and Bystander
Exposure Study Public
Meeting, September 25, 2004
The UK Pesticides Campaigner
by Georgina Downs
The UK Pesticides Forum:
Pesticide Forum's '2006 Annual Report' and the '2006 Report of
Indicators reflecting the impacts of pesticides use'
PAN Europe:
Pesticides Action Network Europe
Europe agrees to improve water protection; expands list of pesticides
on REACH 2.
http://www.pan-europe.info/press_releases/220507.htm
European Commission takes measures, including ban aerial spraying, 2007.
And the standard to meet:
2,4-D is banned
January 1, 2000.
Swedish regulatory practice
is light years
ahead of us.
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Facebook Websites
Petition to restrict non-esssential pesticides in Ottawa
* Katya Permiakova (York University Canada) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2370227229
Coalition for a Healthy Calgary
* Laureen Rama (no network) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2360867674
Healthy Lawns, Healthy Brantford
* Sarah McAlister (Waterloo) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2325810757
Ban the cosmetic use of pesticides in Canada
* Matt Casselman (Kingston, ON) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2366354550
Stop Health Canada from upping the allowable pesticide limit
* Erin Ferguson (no network) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2340501172
Agent Orange Association of Canada
* Art Connolly (London, ON) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2343850409
Agent Orange Association of Canada
* Ken Dobbie (Kingston, ON) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2246087127
Agent Orange Destroys
* Stephanie Cassel (Rhodes) (creator)
cassn@rhodes.edu
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2256146783
Agent Orange Petition
* Lam Le (Cambridge) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2324028584
Agent Orange Awareness
* McKenna Raney (Oxford High School) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2205024715
Agent Orange, not a laughing matter, it needs more attention
* Kai L. (Westfield Senior High School) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2237677122
Millions Against Monsanto
* Patrick Newton Cloonan Thurber (Switzerland) (creator)
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2209163750
Facebook (c) 2007
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