Good News from NoSpray Nashville

The director of the Health Department has recently verbally confirmed that the threshold for spraying has been raised this year. He stated that because of the low incidence of West Nile virus (WNv) transmission to humans, they will not spray for positive mosquitoes. (He didn't mention the fact that their spraying didn't reduce mosquitoes in Antioch last year but he knows it.) He said they would need to have diseased mosquitoes, a human or a horse with WNV, and something that made them believe the ill human or horse was infected by diseased mosquitoes in the area before they would spray. Davidson County has never had the conditions he describes.

There have been some small improvements in their preventative actions when they find diseased mosquitoes (like they did in June). I also believe my continued requests to obtain their 2009 data has helped. I've been told that they are currently making improvements to their record keeping.

The next new mosquito-borne disease that rolls in town and looks the least bit frightening could put us back to square one. We MUST keep the pressure on them and city leaders to improve their response so that the least toxic solutions are being used when they need to try to manage mosquitoes. Last year, they took no non-toxic actions for weeks on end after finding multiple pools of diseased mosquitoes in Antioch.

Be warned that companies who sell insecticides for mosquitoes are well-aware of the changes we have fought so hard to get. You may have noticed "Mosquito Squad," "Buzz Off" and a number of other companies cropping up. They want to sell your neighbors systems that will spray pesticides at the push of a button or on a timer in their yards. (Some state attorney generals have outlawed these systems.) Mosquito Squad also offers to come to you house and spray every 21 days "to control mosquitoes." Mosquito Squad has been aggressively posting signs on telephone poles and on busy streets in upscale neighborhoods. This signage is a illegal - a violation of Metro Codes. BURNT has turned them in to Codes and sent the owner of the company a warning letter to cease. If you see signage for this company, let us know where they are posted. We are taking them down and noting the date and location of the sign.

See our website for updated information on mosquito management and companies like Mosquito Squad.

BURNT's PO Box 128555, Nashville tn 37212
http://www.nospraynashville.org
Citizens working together to bring science, ethics and responsible mosquito control to the Metro Public Health Department's Mosquito Control Program in Nashville.

No Spray Nashville an outreach of BURNT.
BURNT 501C organization and a member of Community Shares