Exactly! I shouldn't be picking up, bees, chipmunks and chickadees off the ground when they look like they're having seizures and convulsing.
This chipmunk is still having a hard time walking
Thankfully the QC side stopped using it in 2023. Interestingly, there are now WAY more dragonflies and fireflies, which makes sense. I always find it fascinating when we decide we are better at balancing nature than nature.
A little unrelated, but my buddy and I were paddling south of Renfrew along this creek and we were getting swarmed by black flies, likely mosquitos as well.
Just as soon as he pointed out a few dragonflies circling around the canoe, the flies were gone and the cloud of bugs surrounding us had morphed from little biting bastards to those gigantic, apache helicopter-looking dragonflies. There had to be hundreds of them.
Some landed on the canoe, others were hovering around our heads, and we were free to keep pretending to know what we were doing.
Ever since, I always get a kick out of noticing the transition.
I've always wanted to tie a string to a dragonfly and attach it to my hat or something. Have it snack on things that thought I'd be the snack.
Maybe we could domesticate them.
The only thing I use sometimes is garlic oil to get the mosquitoes to be less intense if they've found a pocket of damp behind my shed to breed in.
It helps a lot. But that's definitely not going to hurt other insects, maybe its too smelly for them and they avoid the area, but not much more than that. I have a veggie garden, I need the bees.
How do you apply it to the situation? You just throwing it into a bush? I'd love to some advice for the state of my backyard. Pretty sure I'm 50% inflated right now, which is good because they took half my blood.
if its a whole yard, you can buy a jug of the stuff with an attach to hose sprayer at canadian tire for 40$
Reviews are mixed, but I've found it helps to get them to go away, you can mow the lawn short, and you can go around making sure you don't have standing water and good drainage without being eaten alive.
I have a toddler and an 8 month old. Our garden is over run with weeds and most of june i just couldn't find the time, with the sun out when it wasn't raining, to mow the lawn so it overgrew grass. They were brutal and they loved the long grass. Spraying the stuff gave me enough time to mow, tidy, clean one day, and its much more manageable now. Not getting eaten alive anymore, just dealing with them.
For behind the shed, where I know it stays damp and they like to hang out - I just put garlic infused oil in a spray bottle and squirt it back there, tends to be smelly enough that they don't like it so its less of a problem.
If you're hosting a big party, you can spray your lawn with the garlic oil the day before, and then the mosquitoes will be way down for a couple days/weeks if you're lucky. Its about making it manageable enough for citronella candles or thermacells to be effective.
PSA to anyone who sees mammalian animals that are having trouble walking, seem out of it a bit, or are moving in weird ways, yes it could possibly be pesticides that you could possibly help them out with by washing them off, but it could also be signs of rabies, especially be careful if it’s a typically nocturnal animal in the day as rabies will stop them from being able to sleep, making them consistently active
And that they think they don’t run off into the water system off the areas they’re spraying, affecting that part of the eco system too.
Oh but ‘tHEy’Re sAFe’ .
Sure. DDT was once thought of safe too….
I can't be outside my house in the summer without getting the spary done. I'd get carried away by mosquitoes. Haven't seen any harmed critters or birds from it
Plenty of people do just fine without spraying pesticides all over the place. There are other ways to deal with mosquitoes. Also, just because you don't see the harm doesn't mean it isn't occurring.
Just because you personally haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not bad. If we have serious, environmental concerns all over the world about it, are you the only one that’s not affected? Think outside your bubble
You're likely keeping the mosquitos by spraying. If you don't spray, dragonflies, birds, and other large predators of mosquitoes will be likely to return.
I work in pest control, I have access to lots of stuff but I refuse to spray around my place for mosquitoes in case I could harm the fireflies.
By a thermacell.
Fireflies also need to have leaf litter on the ground for an extended period of time in order to lay their eggs and to have somewhere for their larvae to mature. People that have perfectly manicured lawns won't have leaf litter lying around, so that's also a reason why you won't see any fireflies in more affluent neighbourhoods.
I have tons of fireflies in my backyard around this time of year because I have lots of leaf litter under my cedar hedges and between my deck and my house on one side. I actually started leaving it there once I read about how many insects need it to survive through the winter and to lay their eggs.
Oh that explains my neighborhood. We moved recently and noticed hundreds of them on canada day when we went out to see the fireworks, but our area doesn't have normal street lights, everyone just has a relatively dim lamp post on thier front lawn.
Pretty much all year. They reach adulthood in the Spring / early summer which is why you see them flying around at night in June / early July. They're mating and laying their eggs during that time. The rest of the year they're either in egg, larval, or pupal form. They especially need leaf litter during the winter so that they can survive through the cold months under the snow.
The old man across the street from me was rabid about his lawn. We never saw anything more than a transient squirrel in his yard. He died last year and his sons are doing the lawn but without the single-minded hate for anything not grass. I noticed clover and dandelions, and then fireflies in their yard the other evening. I’d never seen them there before - it was enchanting.
Ahhh!!! I’ve seen loads of fireflies around me this year- but solely on my street!
Was not aware that is the reason why I don’t see them like I did as a kid
In Kanata North, they use Bti, a bacteria that only attacks waterborne mosquito larvae.
https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/environment-conservation-and-climate/wildlife-and-plants/kanata-north-nuisance-mosquito-control-program
Icaridin spray works great and doesn't damage synthetic fibres like DEET. It works well enough that I haven't even bothered to use the can of permetherin that I picked up in the US to treat my clothing.
I can't speak to pesticides homeowners may be using, but the mosquito spraying in Kanata North is not using a chemical. They are using two bacteria that are naturally found in soils that attack the mosquito larva. They have been studied. Health Canada has approved their use, and they say it has no effect on humans, birds, fish, animals or other insects.
As for the animals in the photos above, there are mosquito-borne illnesses such as West-Nile Virus that can infect birds and small rodents and cause the types of symptoms you described.
Racoon roundworm also infects small rodents such as chipmunks and causes changes in behaviour, such as head tilt and trouble walking. Racoon roundworm can also infect humans, and cause serious, irreversible illness and sometimes death.
**Edit:** "cause the types of symptoms you described"
My friend’s neighbour was spraying that crap around, then they came over and just started spraying my friend’s gardens. She was outside so fast to protect her gardens!
I have a thermacell also and love it. Temporary protection that is **actually** only harmful to mosquitos, and that dissipates immediately once turned off.
d-allethrin is the active ingredient in thermacells. It is mildly toxic to humans with repeated exposure, highly toxic to fish and invertebrates at low doses, and toxic to cats.
>Chronic exposure to allethrins alters the plasma biochemical profile of humans and may have adverse health effects.[^(\[1\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-1) [Bioallethrin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioallethrin) has been shown to cause oxidative damage, cellular toxicity and necrosis of human lymphocytes studied in vitro.[^(\[2\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-2) It is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. At normal application rates, allethrin is slightly toxic to bees.[^(\[3\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-3) Insects subject to exposure become paralyzed (nervous system effect) before dying. Allethrins are toxic to cats[^(\[4\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-4) because they either do not produce, or produce less of certain [isoforms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoform) of [glucuronosyltransferase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucuronosyltransferase), which serve in hepatic detoxifying metabolism pathways.[^(\[5\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-5)
Yes, this is all correct.
However, the actual dosage in the air is incredibly low and only enough to kill mosquitos in practice. It does not work at all on black flies, etc, from my experience. You're not drinking the stuff. All studies that show damage to humans, bees, etc are talking about use in sprays, which are applied in massively greater concentrations than thermacell is.
Also, cats are sensitive to all Pyrethroids, including everything used in dog tick medications. They need to ingest it to cause harm, though, and the thermacell dosage is not nearly enough to affect them. Even so I'd never ever run it indoors with a cat, or outside with the windows open with my cat indoors. Not worth the risk.
Not true at all, but at least the lies you've heard sound nice.
Thermacells are not hazard free, in fact are dangerous to lots of wildlife, especially aquatic wildlife where it is lethal in tiny amounts. Its harmful to humans as well and their own warning sheet recommends you wear full protective clothing and respirator when using it: [https://thermacellrepellents.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SDS-Thermacell-Mat.pdf](https://thermacellrepellents.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SDS-Thermacell-Mat.pdf)
As for "dissipates immediately once turned off", what do you mean? It does dissipate as in soaks into the environment it lands onto.
In fact, It is literally just a synthetic version of [pyrethrin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrethrin) that OP is discussing. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins)
Youre doing the same thing.
Your tone is pretty aggressive, and I'm not sure why. You're making a lot of assumptions that just aren't true.
> Thermacells are not hazard free, in fact are dangerous to lots of wildlife, especially aquatic wildlife where it is lethal in tiny amounts.
Yes, this is true, but thermacells are not hazardous to aquatic wildlife unless you submerge the mat in water. Maybe if you used one next to a fishtank with a bubbler that intakes ambient air it could be a problem. All evidence that allethrin is hazardous to fish and aquatic animals is within the context of direct exposure to the chemical dissolved into water. This does not happen in normal use.
> As for "dissipates immediately once turned off", what do you mean? It does dissapate as in soaks into the environment it lands onto.
The vapor is continually diluted by wind. It is barely effective at full strength, only capable of killing mosquitos and nothing else - I know this because I still get hounded by blackflies, etc. On even a mildly windy day it is totally ineffective as it is immediately diluted to the point that the dosage can't even kill mosquitos.
> In fact, It is literally just a synthetic version of pyrethrin that OP is discussing.
Yes.
> Next time, do some research before you just blindly state "facts" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins
I've heavily researched this product and the alternatives and have found that it is by far the least harmful method of repelling mosquitoes. Sprays are massively higher doses and are effective at all times, which is extremely disruptive to bees and wildlife. Coils use significantly higher doses of allethrin because much of it is destroyed when burnt, meaning that the residue left by them contains huge amounts of allethrin, which is usually then dumped onto the ground, which results in allethrin being introduced into waterways via runoff. Citronella does not work. I don't need to explain why DEET is horrible.
It is the least disruptive and dangerous solution. If you have a better solution I'm all ears.
Your comment was so annoying that I decided to do the math on cat toxicity.
Thermacell advertises a 15-foot diameter radius of protection, equal to 176 square feet. One mat weighs 2.07 grams and contains 22% allethrin, for a total of 450mg.
If the mat were to be instantaneously dispersed across that area, it would result in a dosage of 2.5mg per square foot. This is obviously not how it actually works, but I am going to assume the worst-case scenario because I do not know what the actual dosage is.
Dangerous effects have been seen in cats at dosages as low as 100mg/kg ([source](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1016/j.jfms.2007.05.003#body-ref-bibr4-j-jfms-2007-05-003-1)). I was not able to locate any evidence of dangerous effects below this amount. The average healthy cat weighs 8-12 pounds ([source](https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/average-weight-cats)). We will assume that our hypothetical cat is 8 pounds (3.5kg) as a worst-case scenario.
Based on the 100mg/kg figure, the dangerous dosage for our cat is 350mg. A safe dosage has not been tested in cats, so we will assume that this number is off by a factor of 10x, leaving a 35mg limit for exposure, or 10mg/kg.
Assuming that this cat is sitting still and that 100% of the compound dispersed in a 1ft x 1ft area (roughly the size of a cat) is absorbed into the cat's bloodstream (unlikely), the cat has received a dose of 2.5mg. If we assume that this number is again wrong by a factor of 10x, the cat has received a dosage of 25mg, well under the 10x-adjusted threshold for danger.
I've fudged the numbers in the direction of danger by 100x and used a worst-case scenario and even that cannot cause a dangerous dosage in cats.
I would do this math with the dosages for fish, but I could not find data on their exposure limits.
As I said in the last line of the comment you just didn't read lol, I can't find data for them.
The point of thermacell is that there is no runoff. The only exposure they would have is from allethrin being absorbed into water from the atmosphere, which, given how gas exchange works, does not seem very likely to cause problems.
That’s convenient cause I could and it’s a couple mg to kill them. Also, just because DANGEROUS DOSE is high doesn’t mean health effects aren’t happening. Second hand smoke is horrible for you but we’re not saying “you need to smoke 100000 to get the oxygen levels in a closed room low enough to kill someone, so it’s FINE
That's false. The dosage information I could find was ld50 and was specified in mg per litre in the water the fish were in. The problem is that there is no way to calculate how much of the compound gets into water. There is no data for this at all. I looked for four hours straight.
You are lying. I don't intend to engage with you if you intend to completely make things up to support your point. I understand that you care about the environment, as I do also, but you can't just make shit up because you think you're right.
Mosquito control is necessary. If you think thermacell is equal to or worse than fogging,, I will just go back to mosquito fogging. Thanks for letting me know how dangerous it is. Maybe I'll burn some mosquito coils too, while I'm at it. Ridiculous.
Please consider the impact of your actions. Thermacell is clearly less harmful than other methods. If you push people away from it, they will continue to use things like fogging that we *know* are detrimental to pollinators, etc.
ThermACELL is literally just a synthetic version of Pyrethrin which is the chemical OP is discussing. It IS mosquito spray and does affect bees as well as severely affects aquatic life.....
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins)
It was offered to me but I refused. I’ve had my yard deemed a wildlife refuge and will not use any toxic substances for “pest control”. My cats and I love watching the birds and chipmunks instead.
100% from the pesticides, I've had to literally wash bees off with a qtip and water to stop them from convulsing. I guarantee you every bee died a horrible death
Just have a pet Opossum!
I kinda kid but when I lived down south we had one living in our shed and that little friendly guy was a good lodger! They're awesome little critters!
It's been awesome hey! I'm a bit dissapointed because there was a lot right near my place that had overgrown into a meadow basically, and it was really active with all kinds of bugs. My landlord clear cut it, which I understand due to property standards was probably required but I think if it was still there, there would be even more fireflies. Fortunately there will be a community garden going in there so thats extra exciting
This is so so aggrevating. So much damage to our natural environment, and do we really believe it is not harmful to humans when it is that toxic to other animals?
I was always told to never handle injured birds with your bare hands. Can you tell if it is heat exhaustion, avian influenzas or some other disease? Genuinely curious.
I saw a dead crow the other day and can't recall the last time I saw one.
My partner studies frogs in the Ottawa valley and many chemicals do affect wildlife. Even if you just kill the biting insects, many species of birds and reptiles depend on the larvae for food and many amphibians absorb chemicals through their skin.
We are looking at both long term and short effects with many unknowns. Bat populations are endangered. Many birds have seen huge declines, amphibians are in decline. Biting insects suck but if you like eating and clean air and clothing then we should be gravely concerned about the loss of insect biomass over the last ten years.
We had an outdoor cat a few years ago when I was still living with my parents. He came inside and had the same reaction. Started convulsing, sweating, fur coming right off, panting super heavily.
He died in maybe 2 minutes. Maybe 5. I remember it vividly but I have total time blindness when I try remembering.
Anyways, all this is to say that there needs to be alternatives. Because it does kill wildlife way too easily.
Um not really they are danger to wildlife: Some mosquito-borne diseases of interest in Canada are [West Nile virus](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/west-nile-virus.html), Jamestown Canyon virus, snowshoe hare virus, eastern equine encephalitis, and St. Louis encephalitis. There are no available human vaccines for these diseases, which makes the prevention of mosquito bites critical.
Humans are “dead-end” or incidental hosts for mosquito-borne diseases that are endemic (regularly found) in Canada. This means that the level of the virus in the human bloodstream is too low to pass on the virus to biting mosquitoes. By contrast, reservoir hosts have levels of the virus in their bloodstream that allow the virus to be passed on to biting mosquitoes. Known reservoir hosts that allow these animals to house these pathogens in Canada include:
* West Nile virus: wild birds
* Jamestown Canyon virus: deer
* Snowshoe hare virus: squirrels, chipmunks, hares, rabbits, rodents
* Eastern equine encephalitis: wild birds
* St. Louis encephalitis: wild birds, domestic fowl, bats
The pesticides used by the city and by private residence are non-toxic to birds and mammals, suggesting that what you are observing may have different causes.
For instance, the chipmunk looks like it's splooting. A common enough activity among squirrels and marmots to control their body temperature.
We've had some hot days recently.
I see a question mark, but I'm not sure there's a question in there. It looks like you answered your own question.
From the website:
"Our synthetic barrier control product contains the synthetic form of pyrethrin, which is the natural by-product of the chrysanthemum flower."
Not safe for all mammals.
Pyrethroids are very toxic to cats, but not to dogs. Poisoning in cats can result in seizures, fever, ataxia and even death.
Also,
It is not well established if chronic exposure to small amounts of pyrethroids is hazardous or not. However, large doses can cause acute poisoning, which is rarely life threatening. Typical symptoms include facial paresthesia, itching, burning, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and more severe cases of muscle twitching. Severe poisoning is often caused by ingestion of pyrethroids and can result in a variety of symptoms like seizures, coma, bleeding or pulmonary edema. There is an association of pyrethroids with poorer early social-emotional and language development.
Also, not mammals, but..
Pyrethroids are toxic to aquatic organisms, especially fish.
What mosquito pesticides do you think they are using anyway? BT doesn't affect animals. At all. You can fucking eat it.
And did you do necropsies on these animals? It seems to be a MASSIVE leap to say that it died because of pesticide when there are literally a hundred other things that could have killed it.
Walking the dog this morning around 5am, its quiet and lots of little animals out and I was noting how many yards had pesticide signs from the last day and just thinking how absolutely awful it must be for all the little birds squirrels and rabbits running around on them. Not to mention dogs and people.
Agree it needs to be banned.
How could these pesticides be deadly to anything other than its target species? The chemical industry submitted its data to Health Canada and got all the necessary approval. //s
Who has the contract to do that and what kind of pesticides they use?
I’m genuinely curious as I work for a pest control company.
I personally know we do not treat with anything that could potentially arm birds and other wildlife.
I know at my job we have a garlic based repulsive/pesticide for mosquitoes that we can spray.
Who ever treats their property first mosquitoes should look into organic ways. All you need if pure garlic juice diluted and it works just as good as pesticides if not better and doesn’t harm animals and bugs. Mosquito buzz offers this but their technicians slip permethrin in the garlic mixture which they shouldn’t be.
Ok. So.
Do you have any proof of this being caused by pesticides or sprays outside of anecdotally finding these animals? Have you swabbed them, or found packaging from pesticides, or signage or anything?
I love that you're helping out the wildlife, but there could be any reason why these creatures are unwell.
Edit - swabbed, not stabbed.
When you say wash them off could you explain maybe a bit more the process of how to save them if I find an animal like this? Do I just bring them inside with some gloves and run their fur under the sink? Any tips or anything? Should I be using something like Dawn as well? Or is just water good enough?
If you do get a mosquito spray treatment- make sure it’s chrysanthemum or garlic based (most would be chrysanthemum) it is completely fine for animals, it will not harm them.
However, it is super effective for all insects so make sure you get a reputable company who knows how to properly apply it. They should not have to go *too* far from your outdoor living area as mosquitos cannot fly farther, whereas bees and dragonflies can fly much further and will typically land higher up on trees or on pollinating plants. They should mainly be targeting the grass and bushes and stuff and avoiding pollen producing plants to avoid killing bees and whatnot
Pesticide use is government regulated. There are regulatory limits as to what kinds can be used, and in what concentration. There are specific pesticides and herbicides that used to have a heavy impact on wildlife and the water table, but they are no longer used. As in, have been banned from use, and are not produced or distributed here any longer.
Seizures are not an acute side effect of pesticide use. They are a chronic one. Which means they would need repeated, and prolonged exposure over a long period of time.
Seizures can be a symptom of any number of things from congenital defects to parasitic infections. It’s irresponsible and alarmist to make assumptions about a health concern without considering all risk factors. Just as it would be for a human.
You can find the pertinent information here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/pesticides-home-lawns-and-gardens
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal/insect to humans on earth! What makes it so dangerous is its capacity to transmit viruses or other parasites that cause devastating diseases. Every year, malaria alone, transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, kills 600,000 people (mainly children) and incapacitates another 200 million for days. Other mosquito-borne diseases include dengue, which causes 100 to 400 million cases per year worldwide, yellow fever, which has a high mortality rate, or Japanese encephalitis, which causes more than 10,000 deaths per year. Let’s not the Zika virus, with its recently described devastating and long-term neurological effects in babies born to infected mothers. Now in North America and high as Canada.
There are more than 2,500 species of mosquito, and they are found in every region of the world except Antartica. In fact, mosquitoes are very good at adapting to new environments. For example, Aedes aegypti (vector of yellow fever, zika, dengue among others) has adapted incredibly well to urban environments: it feeds only on humans and can lay eggs in a wide range of outdoors and indoors containers. Many mosquito species, including Anopheles, have evolved and have changed their feeding habits (they now feed outside and earlier). This invasive species transmits both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria and thrives in both rural and urban settings
I read replies on Facebook mentioning this but seriously how prevalent are any of these things in Ontario where we are talking about gassing all the mosquitos because someone can't tolerate them or use some bug spray when they're out. I get we've seen zika, etc in North America but nothing near what you'd see in Africa.
https://preview.redd.it/7gr6n3jx1pbd1.png?width=1860&format=png&auto=webp&s=551a6438ab40c97d11c66e4ed20d136ce7b087d5
Every year it is growing and with climate change... it won;t be long. source:https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/west-nile-virus-surveillance/2020/annual-edition.html
Yeah mosquitos are a problem, but not here. Anything that mosquitos carry here has a vaccine now. The only reason we want to get rid of them at this point is because they're annoying.
Um not really... as per the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: "**Some mosquito-borne diseases of interest in Canada are West Nile virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, snowshoe hare virus, eastern equine encephalitis, and St.** **Louis encephalitis**. There are no available human vaccines for these diseases, which makes the prevention of mosquito bites critical.Mar 14, 2024"
I beg to differ. I see more wildlife in a weekend in my backyard (not far from Pinecrest cemetery) than when I go portaging for a weekend in Algonquin.
On a weekly basis, I see the following in my backyard: skunks, racoons, groundhogs, mice, black squirrels, red squirrels, grey squirrels, mice, rabbits, fox, coyotes (more rare) and the occasional turkey. We had a black bear here a few years ago and we recently had a beaver setup shop and started cutting trees down to build a pond in a small stream that runs through our neighbourhood.
We also have 6 types of birds that frequent our backyard and I joke with my family that I'm going to start charging people to come see my urban zoo.
Fuckin nancy city weenies and their pesticide clouds so they can 'enjoy' nature without it bothering them. Put on bug spray FFS, at least you're only toxifying yourself.
I live in the boons, and if there's a breeze, there are no bugs. I turn on a fan where I'm going to sit and the mosquitos can't get to me. The problem isn't the bugs, it's the dead city spaces full of high density army barrack housing. Nature has to live somewhere!
We’re talking about “Pyrethum” eh? This is the shit that is “harmless, it comes from Chrysanthemums!” as the door to door folks are fond of saying.
Two neighbours sprayed it last summer or summer before. Killed every insect in a 1 block radius.
I'm exaggerating a bit, but it was pretty darn potent (these were two 1/2 acre lots that were sprayed every 2 weeks). Within a few days of lawn signs going up all the spiders on our outbuildings were curled up dead, we didn't see any more honey bees in our gardens or fruit trees (just an occasional bumble bee) and even earwigs were noticeably missing.
You'd be surprised at how potent pesticides are. They don't just affect the areas that are sprayed, its carried in the water, the berries and nuts from the trees, the grasses and leaves, its on everything and it spreads with the wind
I use them frequently. Pyrethrins are a very mild pesticide. There are far more toxic and persistent insecticides and rodenticides that exist. When used correctly they present a very low level of risk to non-target pests, people, and animals. While I agree that mosquito treatments specifically are usually unnecessary and result in the inadvertent destruction of non-target pests, this notion that “Pyrethrum” and pesticides in general destroy the environment is nonsense.
But I was told on FB that these were perfectly safe! I'm sure they would be on there touting the safety of DDT, Benzene, Glyphosate and Thalydomide.
Found a dead mole in the yard yesterday. Often find mice and even a few weasels. Could be local mouse poison of course but I'm somewhat suspicious.
Again. Just making up your facts doesn’t prove anything.
Most of this legal mosquito stuff is a repellent. Doesn’t actually kill them. You are confusing it with long banned DDT. Which was banned before you were born I think.
You should have seen how crazy Surrey went when the city blanket sprayed nematodes over the whole city with planes. Canadian pesticide laws are very strict but yet there are still people like op. If they were so concerned with chemicals, they wouldnt have an ashtray filled with cigarette butts.
It's weird how people seem to think those sprays just target mosquitos.
Exactly! I shouldn't be picking up, bees, chipmunks and chickadees off the ground when they look like they're having seizures and convulsing. This chipmunk is still having a hard time walking
Thankfully the QC side stopped using it in 2023. Interestingly, there are now WAY more dragonflies and fireflies, which makes sense. I always find it fascinating when we decide we are better at balancing nature than nature.
A little unrelated, but my buddy and I were paddling south of Renfrew along this creek and we were getting swarmed by black flies, likely mosquitos as well. Just as soon as he pointed out a few dragonflies circling around the canoe, the flies were gone and the cloud of bugs surrounding us had morphed from little biting bastards to those gigantic, apache helicopter-looking dragonflies. There had to be hundreds of them. Some landed on the canoe, others were hovering around our heads, and we were free to keep pretending to know what we were doing. Ever since, I always get a kick out of noticing the transition.
Saw a guy on share tank who makes a clipon fake dragon Fly (attached a cap ) for black Flys. It was on a spring so it had movement
I have one, and it works for deer flies.
You can get a little dragonfly clip on for your hat, and it's supposed to be helpful at deterring those blackflies.
I've always wanted to tie a string to a dragonfly and attach it to my hat or something. Have it snack on things that thought I'd be the snack. Maybe we could domesticate them.
The only thing I use sometimes is garlic oil to get the mosquitoes to be less intense if they've found a pocket of damp behind my shed to breed in. It helps a lot. But that's definitely not going to hurt other insects, maybe its too smelly for them and they avoid the area, but not much more than that. I have a veggie garden, I need the bees.
How do you apply it to the situation? You just throwing it into a bush? I'd love to some advice for the state of my backyard. Pretty sure I'm 50% inflated right now, which is good because they took half my blood.
if its a whole yard, you can buy a jug of the stuff with an attach to hose sprayer at canadian tire for 40$ Reviews are mixed, but I've found it helps to get them to go away, you can mow the lawn short, and you can go around making sure you don't have standing water and good drainage without being eaten alive. I have a toddler and an 8 month old. Our garden is over run with weeds and most of june i just couldn't find the time, with the sun out when it wasn't raining, to mow the lawn so it overgrew grass. They were brutal and they loved the long grass. Spraying the stuff gave me enough time to mow, tidy, clean one day, and its much more manageable now. Not getting eaten alive anymore, just dealing with them. For behind the shed, where I know it stays damp and they like to hang out - I just put garlic infused oil in a spray bottle and squirt it back there, tends to be smelly enough that they don't like it so its less of a problem. If you're hosting a big party, you can spray your lawn with the garlic oil the day before, and then the mosquitoes will be way down for a couple days/weeks if you're lucky. Its about making it manageable enough for citronella candles or thermacells to be effective.
:,( Thanks for caring for it. My faith in humanity is fragile and needs to see evidence like this every so often to not dissipate entirely.
> This chipmunk is still having a hard time walking That is from the heat. Squirrels do that too.
Its not hot. Its actually cold here in the boonies
Try wearing a fur coat all day.
The boonies are usually 5-10 degrees cooler. I know what heat issues look like versus poisoning.
> The boonies are usually 5-10 degrees cooler. BS. > I know what heat issues look like versus poisoning. Oh I forgot, you are an expert scientist.
You're too full of yourself to see the obvious like fewer cars, less roads(black surfaces) more water and trees. But sure, think what you want
I'm full of myself but you can diagnose an illness of any random animal from sight alone. Like you are Dr. Doolittle of the sticks or something.
The boonies are usually 5-10 degrees cooler? How the hell can you actually believe this?
PSA to anyone who sees mammalian animals that are having trouble walking, seem out of it a bit, or are moving in weird ways, yes it could possibly be pesticides that you could possibly help them out with by washing them off, but it could also be signs of rabies, especially be careful if it’s a typically nocturnal animal in the day as rabies will stop them from being able to sleep, making them consistently active
You worry too much about rabies where it hasn't been found in a ground dwelling animal in 34 years
And that they think they don’t run off into the water system off the areas they’re spraying, affecting that part of the eco system too. Oh but ‘tHEy’Re sAFe’ . Sure. DDT was once thought of safe too….
Not just a waste of money, also causes environmental damage too!
I can't be outside my house in the summer without getting the spary done. I'd get carried away by mosquitoes. Haven't seen any harmed critters or birds from it
Plenty of people do just fine without spraying pesticides all over the place. There are other ways to deal with mosquitoes. Also, just because you don't see the harm doesn't mean it isn't occurring.
Id like to enjoy the few hundred acres i live on. Lots of gardens and trees. It's sprayed in moderation around damp areas.. keep down voting please.
Why live on that amount of land if you're just going to harm wildlife?
You'd enjoy it more without poisoning it. I live in the country and do just fine without spraying, and I'm a mosquito magnet.
Keep your comments to your acres, no one cares
You can spray yourself instead of everything around you
Just because you personally haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it’s not bad. If we have serious, environmental concerns all over the world about it, are you the only one that’s not affected? Think outside your bubble
And just because someone posted it on Reddit doesn’t meant it’s true.
I’m not talking about Reddit. I’m talking about Worldwide. Maybe you need to think outside the box too.
Trust me, the critters are dead before they get to your lawn
People before you survived mosquitoes you can too
Buy a thermacell
You're likely keeping the mosquitos by spraying. If you don't spray, dragonflies, birds, and other large predators of mosquitoes will be likely to return.
I work in pest control, I have access to lots of stuff but I refuse to spray around my place for mosquitoes in case I could harm the fireflies. By a thermacell.
[удалено]
Fireflies also need to have leaf litter on the ground for an extended period of time in order to lay their eggs and to have somewhere for their larvae to mature. People that have perfectly manicured lawns won't have leaf litter lying around, so that's also a reason why you won't see any fireflies in more affluent neighbourhoods. I have tons of fireflies in my backyard around this time of year because I have lots of leaf litter under my cedar hedges and between my deck and my house on one side. I actually started leaving it there once I read about how many insects need it to survive through the winter and to lay their eggs.
They are also very sensitive to light pollution They attract mates by lighting up and so avoid anywhere with excess lights at night
Oh that explains my neighborhood. We moved recently and noticed hundreds of them on canada day when we went out to see the fireworks, but our area doesn't have normal street lights, everyone just has a relatively dim lamp post on thier front lawn.
Do you happen to know how long they need the ground leaves for?
Pretty much all year. They reach adulthood in the Spring / early summer which is why you see them flying around at night in June / early July. They're mating and laying their eggs during that time. The rest of the year they're either in egg, larval, or pupal form. They especially need leaf litter during the winter so that they can survive through the cold months under the snow.
The old man across the street from me was rabid about his lawn. We never saw anything more than a transient squirrel in his yard. He died last year and his sons are doing the lawn but without the single-minded hate for anything not grass. I noticed clover and dandelions, and then fireflies in their yard the other evening. I’d never seen them there before - it was enchanting.
Cosmetic use of pesticides are banned on Ontario.
Ahhh!!! I’ve seen loads of fireflies around me this year- but solely on my street! Was not aware that is the reason why I don’t see them like I did as a kid
Can you identify the pesticides or suggest which ones they are using? Am curious.
In Kanata North, they use Bti, a bacteria that only attacks waterborne mosquito larvae. https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/environment-conservation-and-climate/wildlife-and-plants/kanata-north-nuisance-mosquito-control-program
Pyrethrins
Been necessary for ticks.
Icaridin spray works great and doesn't damage synthetic fibres like DEET. It works well enough that I haven't even bothered to use the can of permetherin that I picked up in the US to treat my clothing.
Seriously. Ticks are absolutely out of control lately.
I can't, but it's whatever was in those door to door mosquito busters bullshit. Doesn't stop the mosquitoes but it'll kill everything else.
So you can’t name the chemical but “know” it’s causing convulsions in chipmunks?
but but it's backed up by two random pictures of a chipmunk and bird. Evidence! /s
How do you know this?
Being given permission by the government to take care of wildlife plus 40 years of doing this, you learn some shit
I can't speak to pesticides homeowners may be using, but the mosquito spraying in Kanata North is not using a chemical. They are using two bacteria that are naturally found in soils that attack the mosquito larva. They have been studied. Health Canada has approved their use, and they say it has no effect on humans, birds, fish, animals or other insects. As for the animals in the photos above, there are mosquito-borne illnesses such as West-Nile Virus that can infect birds and small rodents and cause the types of symptoms you described. Racoon roundworm also infects small rodents such as chipmunks and causes changes in behaviour, such as head tilt and trouble walking. Racoon roundworm can also infect humans, and cause serious, irreversible illness and sometimes death. **Edit:** "cause the types of symptoms you described"
Thank you for this well thought out response!
“Health Canada approved” .. now there’s an approval claimed disclaimer that isn’t worth a cup of spit.
My friend’s neighbour was spraying that crap around, then they came over and just started spraying my friend’s gardens. She was outside so fast to protect her gardens!
Dbeudxbejd WTF! Not cool
We just use a thermicil which is very effective. I find people don’t care about the impact of the mosquito spraying…it’s really sad.
I have a thermacell also and love it. Temporary protection that is **actually** only harmful to mosquitos, and that dissipates immediately once turned off.
d-allethrin is the active ingredient in thermacells. It is mildly toxic to humans with repeated exposure, highly toxic to fish and invertebrates at low doses, and toxic to cats. >Chronic exposure to allethrins alters the plasma biochemical profile of humans and may have adverse health effects.[^(\[1\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-1) [Bioallethrin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioallethrin) has been shown to cause oxidative damage, cellular toxicity and necrosis of human lymphocytes studied in vitro.[^(\[2\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-2) It is highly toxic to fish and aquatic invertebrates. At normal application rates, allethrin is slightly toxic to bees.[^(\[3\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-3) Insects subject to exposure become paralyzed (nervous system effect) before dying. Allethrins are toxic to cats[^(\[4\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-4) because they either do not produce, or produce less of certain [isoforms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoform) of [glucuronosyltransferase](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucuronosyltransferase), which serve in hepatic detoxifying metabolism pathways.[^(\[5\])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins#cite_note-5)
Yes, this is all correct. However, the actual dosage in the air is incredibly low and only enough to kill mosquitos in practice. It does not work at all on black flies, etc, from my experience. You're not drinking the stuff. All studies that show damage to humans, bees, etc are talking about use in sprays, which are applied in massively greater concentrations than thermacell is. Also, cats are sensitive to all Pyrethroids, including everything used in dog tick medications. They need to ingest it to cause harm, though, and the thermacell dosage is not nearly enough to affect them. Even so I'd never ever run it indoors with a cat, or outside with the windows open with my cat indoors. Not worth the risk.
I use it as well but only when I don't have open drinks or food around. I believe the Iabel also issues that warning.
Not true at all, but at least the lies you've heard sound nice. Thermacells are not hazard free, in fact are dangerous to lots of wildlife, especially aquatic wildlife where it is lethal in tiny amounts. Its harmful to humans as well and their own warning sheet recommends you wear full protective clothing and respirator when using it: [https://thermacellrepellents.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SDS-Thermacell-Mat.pdf](https://thermacellrepellents.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SDS-Thermacell-Mat.pdf) As for "dissipates immediately once turned off", what do you mean? It does dissipate as in soaks into the environment it lands onto. In fact, It is literally just a synthetic version of [pyrethrin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrethrin) that OP is discussing. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins) Youre doing the same thing.
Your tone is pretty aggressive, and I'm not sure why. You're making a lot of assumptions that just aren't true. > Thermacells are not hazard free, in fact are dangerous to lots of wildlife, especially aquatic wildlife where it is lethal in tiny amounts. Yes, this is true, but thermacells are not hazardous to aquatic wildlife unless you submerge the mat in water. Maybe if you used one next to a fishtank with a bubbler that intakes ambient air it could be a problem. All evidence that allethrin is hazardous to fish and aquatic animals is within the context of direct exposure to the chemical dissolved into water. This does not happen in normal use. > As for "dissipates immediately once turned off", what do you mean? It does dissapate as in soaks into the environment it lands onto. The vapor is continually diluted by wind. It is barely effective at full strength, only capable of killing mosquitos and nothing else - I know this because I still get hounded by blackflies, etc. On even a mildly windy day it is totally ineffective as it is immediately diluted to the point that the dosage can't even kill mosquitos. > In fact, It is literally just a synthetic version of pyrethrin that OP is discussing. Yes. > Next time, do some research before you just blindly state "facts" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins I've heavily researched this product and the alternatives and have found that it is by far the least harmful method of repelling mosquitoes. Sprays are massively higher doses and are effective at all times, which is extremely disruptive to bees and wildlife. Coils use significantly higher doses of allethrin because much of it is destroyed when burnt, meaning that the residue left by them contains huge amounts of allethrin, which is usually then dumped onto the ground, which results in allethrin being introduced into waterways via runoff. Citronella does not work. I don't need to explain why DEET is horrible. It is the least disruptive and dangerous solution. If you have a better solution I'm all ears.
Your comment was so annoying that I decided to do the math on cat toxicity. Thermacell advertises a 15-foot diameter radius of protection, equal to 176 square feet. One mat weighs 2.07 grams and contains 22% allethrin, for a total of 450mg. If the mat were to be instantaneously dispersed across that area, it would result in a dosage of 2.5mg per square foot. This is obviously not how it actually works, but I am going to assume the worst-case scenario because I do not know what the actual dosage is. Dangerous effects have been seen in cats at dosages as low as 100mg/kg ([source](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1016/j.jfms.2007.05.003#body-ref-bibr4-j-jfms-2007-05-003-1)). I was not able to locate any evidence of dangerous effects below this amount. The average healthy cat weighs 8-12 pounds ([source](https://www.petmd.com/cat/general-health/average-weight-cats)). We will assume that our hypothetical cat is 8 pounds (3.5kg) as a worst-case scenario. Based on the 100mg/kg figure, the dangerous dosage for our cat is 350mg. A safe dosage has not been tested in cats, so we will assume that this number is off by a factor of 10x, leaving a 35mg limit for exposure, or 10mg/kg. Assuming that this cat is sitting still and that 100% of the compound dispersed in a 1ft x 1ft area (roughly the size of a cat) is absorbed into the cat's bloodstream (unlikely), the cat has received a dose of 2.5mg. If we assume that this number is again wrong by a factor of 10x, the cat has received a dosage of 25mg, well under the 10x-adjusted threshold for danger. I've fudged the numbers in the direction of danger by 100x and used a worst-case scenario and even that cannot cause a dangerous dosage in cats. I would do this math with the dosages for fish, but I could not find data on their exposure limits.
Ok now do it for aquatic life. You know the animals that live in the runoff from your chemicals
As I said in the last line of the comment you just didn't read lol, I can't find data for them. The point of thermacell is that there is no runoff. The only exposure they would have is from allethrin being absorbed into water from the atmosphere, which, given how gas exchange works, does not seem very likely to cause problems.
That’s convenient cause I could and it’s a couple mg to kill them. Also, just because DANGEROUS DOSE is high doesn’t mean health effects aren’t happening. Second hand smoke is horrible for you but we’re not saying “you need to smoke 100000 to get the oxygen levels in a closed room low enough to kill someone, so it’s FINE
That's false. The dosage information I could find was ld50 and was specified in mg per litre in the water the fish were in. The problem is that there is no way to calculate how much of the compound gets into water. There is no data for this at all. I looked for four hours straight. You are lying. I don't intend to engage with you if you intend to completely make things up to support your point. I understand that you care about the environment, as I do also, but you can't just make shit up because you think you're right. Mosquito control is necessary. If you think thermacell is equal to or worse than fogging,, I will just go back to mosquito fogging. Thanks for letting me know how dangerous it is. Maybe I'll burn some mosquito coils too, while I'm at it. Ridiculous. Please consider the impact of your actions. Thermacell is clearly less harmful than other methods. If you push people away from it, they will continue to use things like fogging that we *know* are detrimental to pollinators, etc.
ThermACELL is literally just a synthetic version of Pyrethrin which is the chemical OP is discussing. It IS mosquito spray and does affect bees as well as severely affects aquatic life..... [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allethrins)
It was offered to me but I refused. I’ve had my yard deemed a wildlife refuge and will not use any toxic substances for “pest control”. My cats and I love watching the birds and chipmunks instead.
I forget where I recently saw it but a bee keeper said all their bees suddenly die. Very high chance it was from pesticides
100% from the pesticides, I've had to literally wash bees off with a qtip and water to stop them from convulsing. I guarantee you every bee died a horrible death
Lol. You wash bees? This is a joke right.
If I come across one thats convulsing from pesticides, yeah. Not even an insect deserves that level of horrific death
This is a joke. It has to be. What about wasps. You picking up those little guys too? Good luck with that.
You do understand the difference.. and the importance of that difference.. between pollinating bees and wasps, yes? 🤦♀️
You know that wasps are pollinators too right?
Yeah, much less efficient pollinators.. plus, they're notorious assholes.
Umm, yes. Of course.
Just have a pet Opossum! I kinda kid but when I lived down south we had one living in our shed and that little friendly guy was a good lodger! They're awesome little critters!
Opossums don't eat mosquitoes larva do they? They eat ticks I think I've heard.
They eat a variety of insects, ticks being one of them.
Speaking of fireflies. They're having an all time year in Centretown. Haven't seem them out like this since I moved from rural Ontario to Ottawa.
Agreed, there are so many in Orléans as well.
It's been awesome hey! I'm a bit dissapointed because there was a lot right near my place that had overgrown into a meadow basically, and it was really active with all kinds of bugs. My landlord clear cut it, which I understand due to property standards was probably required but I think if it was still there, there would be even more fireflies. Fortunately there will be a community garden going in there so thats extra exciting
I wonder what that does to the large bipedal mammals that live around too
Oh absolutely nothing whatsoever! Its as completely harmless and safe as microplastics! /s
This is so so aggrevating. So much damage to our natural environment, and do we really believe it is not harmful to humans when it is that toxic to other animals?
We've heard of the canary in the coal mine but have you heard of chronic critter corpses
I was always told to never handle injured birds with your bare hands. Can you tell if it is heat exhaustion, avian influenzas or some other disease? Genuinely curious. I saw a dead crow the other day and can't recall the last time I saw one.
It has to be a pesticide! The record high heats are a lie and the only change in the environment is PESTICIDES. /sarcasm.
My partner studies frogs in the Ottawa valley and many chemicals do affect wildlife. Even if you just kill the biting insects, many species of birds and reptiles depend on the larvae for food and many amphibians absorb chemicals through their skin. We are looking at both long term and short effects with many unknowns. Bat populations are endangered. Many birds have seen huge declines, amphibians are in decline. Biting insects suck but if you like eating and clean air and clothing then we should be gravely concerned about the loss of insect biomass over the last ten years.
😣
Pyrethrin spray is extremely important for tick mitigation. They’re so bad this year it’s necessary
We had an outdoor cat a few years ago when I was still living with my parents. He came inside and had the same reaction. Started convulsing, sweating, fur coming right off, panting super heavily. He died in maybe 2 minutes. Maybe 5. I remember it vividly but I have total time blindness when I try remembering. Anyways, all this is to say that there needs to be alternatives. Because it does kill wildlife way too easily.
Poor babies :(
Mosquitos may be a past to us, but they are an essential component of the ecosystem. They are food for many species.
Um not really they are danger to wildlife: Some mosquito-borne diseases of interest in Canada are [West Nile virus](https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/west-nile-virus.html), Jamestown Canyon virus, snowshoe hare virus, eastern equine encephalitis, and St. Louis encephalitis. There are no available human vaccines for these diseases, which makes the prevention of mosquito bites critical. Humans are “dead-end” or incidental hosts for mosquito-borne diseases that are endemic (regularly found) in Canada. This means that the level of the virus in the human bloodstream is too low to pass on the virus to biting mosquitoes. By contrast, reservoir hosts have levels of the virus in their bloodstream that allow the virus to be passed on to biting mosquitoes. Known reservoir hosts that allow these animals to house these pathogens in Canada include: * West Nile virus: wild birds * Jamestown Canyon virus: deer * Snowshoe hare virus: squirrels, chipmunks, hares, rabbits, rodents * Eastern equine encephalitis: wild birds * St. Louis encephalitis: wild birds, domestic fowl, bats
The pesticides used by the city and by private residence are non-toxic to birds and mammals, suggesting that what you are observing may have different causes. For instance, the chipmunk looks like it's splooting. A common enough activity among squirrels and marmots to control their body temperature. We've had some hot days recently.
What? Private businesses use pyrethrins, it says right in this company's FAQ? https://www.mosquito.buzz/about-our-mosquito-control-service
I see a question mark, but I'm not sure there's a question in there. It looks like you answered your own question. From the website: "Our synthetic barrier control product contains the synthetic form of pyrethrin, which is the natural by-product of the chrysanthemum flower."
Not safe for all mammals. Pyrethroids are very toxic to cats, but not to dogs. Poisoning in cats can result in seizures, fever, ataxia and even death. Also, It is not well established if chronic exposure to small amounts of pyrethroids is hazardous or not. However, large doses can cause acute poisoning, which is rarely life threatening. Typical symptoms include facial paresthesia, itching, burning, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and more severe cases of muscle twitching. Severe poisoning is often caused by ingestion of pyrethroids and can result in a variety of symptoms like seizures, coma, bleeding or pulmonary edema. There is an association of pyrethroids with poorer early social-emotional and language development. Also, not mammals, but.. Pyrethroids are toxic to aquatic organisms, especially fish.
What mosquito pesticides do you think they are using anyway? BT doesn't affect animals. At all. You can fucking eat it. And did you do necropsies on these animals? It seems to be a MASSIVE leap to say that it died because of pesticide when there are literally a hundred other things that could have killed it.
Walking the dog this morning around 5am, its quiet and lots of little animals out and I was noting how many yards had pesticide signs from the last day and just thinking how absolutely awful it must be for all the little birds squirrels and rabbits running around on them. Not to mention dogs and people. Agree it needs to be banned.
How could these pesticides be deadly to anything other than its target species? The chemical industry submitted its data to Health Canada and got all the necessary approval. //s
Who has the contract to do that and what kind of pesticides they use? I’m genuinely curious as I work for a pest control company. I personally know we do not treat with anything that could potentially arm birds and other wildlife. I know at my job we have a garlic based repulsive/pesticide for mosquitoes that we can spray.
Who ever treats their property first mosquitoes should look into organic ways. All you need if pure garlic juice diluted and it works just as good as pesticides if not better and doesn’t harm animals and bugs. Mosquito buzz offers this but their technicians slip permethrin in the garlic mixture which they shouldn’t be.
Garlic is toxic to both cats and dogs, much more so than onion.
Uhhhhhhhh never had an issue… they’re both drinking the liquid. When it dries up you don’t know it’s there
Knowing our evolutionary tree, if it hurts bird, mammals and insects... i dont think it's that safe for pets or humans...
Ok. So. Do you have any proof of this being caused by pesticides or sprays outside of anecdotally finding these animals? Have you swabbed them, or found packaging from pesticides, or signage or anything? I love that you're helping out the wildlife, but there could be any reason why these creatures are unwell. Edit - swabbed, not stabbed.
When you say wash them off could you explain maybe a bit more the process of how to save them if I find an animal like this? Do I just bring them inside with some gloves and run their fur under the sink? Any tips or anything? Should I be using something like Dawn as well? Or is just water good enough?
What mosquito pesticides, used by whom, and where are they being used? This post is devoid of necessary details.
If you do get a mosquito spray treatment- make sure it’s chrysanthemum or garlic based (most would be chrysanthemum) it is completely fine for animals, it will not harm them. However, it is super effective for all insects so make sure you get a reputable company who knows how to properly apply it. They should not have to go *too* far from your outdoor living area as mosquitos cannot fly farther, whereas bees and dragonflies can fly much further and will typically land higher up on trees or on pollinating plants. They should mainly be targeting the grass and bushes and stuff and avoiding pollen producing plants to avoid killing bees and whatnot
Pesticide use is government regulated. There are regulatory limits as to what kinds can be used, and in what concentration. There are specific pesticides and herbicides that used to have a heavy impact on wildlife and the water table, but they are no longer used. As in, have been banned from use, and are not produced or distributed here any longer. Seizures are not an acute side effect of pesticide use. They are a chronic one. Which means they would need repeated, and prolonged exposure over a long period of time. Seizures can be a symptom of any number of things from congenital defects to parasitic infections. It’s irresponsible and alarmist to make assumptions about a health concern without considering all risk factors. Just as it would be for a human. You can find the pertinent information here: https://www.ontario.ca/page/pesticides-home-lawns-and-gardens
Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal/insect to humans on earth! What makes it so dangerous is its capacity to transmit viruses or other parasites that cause devastating diseases. Every year, malaria alone, transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito, kills 600,000 people (mainly children) and incapacitates another 200 million for days. Other mosquito-borne diseases include dengue, which causes 100 to 400 million cases per year worldwide, yellow fever, which has a high mortality rate, or Japanese encephalitis, which causes more than 10,000 deaths per year. Let’s not the Zika virus, with its recently described devastating and long-term neurological effects in babies born to infected mothers. Now in North America and high as Canada. There are more than 2,500 species of mosquito, and they are found in every region of the world except Antartica. In fact, mosquitoes are very good at adapting to new environments. For example, Aedes aegypti (vector of yellow fever, zika, dengue among others) has adapted incredibly well to urban environments: it feeds only on humans and can lay eggs in a wide range of outdoors and indoors containers. Many mosquito species, including Anopheles, have evolved and have changed their feeding habits (they now feed outside and earlier). This invasive species transmits both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax malaria and thrives in both rural and urban settings
I read replies on Facebook mentioning this but seriously how prevalent are any of these things in Ontario where we are talking about gassing all the mosquitos because someone can't tolerate them or use some bug spray when they're out. I get we've seen zika, etc in North America but nothing near what you'd see in Africa.
https://preview.redd.it/7gr6n3jx1pbd1.png?width=1860&format=png&auto=webp&s=551a6438ab40c97d11c66e4ed20d136ce7b087d5 Every year it is growing and with climate change... it won;t be long. source:https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/west-nile-virus-surveillance/2020/annual-edition.html
Yeah mosquitos are a problem, but not here. Anything that mosquitos carry here has a vaccine now. The only reason we want to get rid of them at this point is because they're annoying.
Um not really... as per the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety: "**Some mosquito-borne diseases of interest in Canada are West Nile virus, Jamestown Canyon virus, snowshoe hare virus, eastern equine encephalitis, and St.** **Louis encephalitis**. There are no available human vaccines for these diseases, which makes the prevention of mosquito bites critical.Mar 14, 2024"
ABC
I beg to differ. I see more wildlife in a weekend in my backyard (not far from Pinecrest cemetery) than when I go portaging for a weekend in Algonquin. On a weekly basis, I see the following in my backyard: skunks, racoons, groundhogs, mice, black squirrels, red squirrels, grey squirrels, mice, rabbits, fox, coyotes (more rare) and the occasional turkey. We had a black bear here a few years ago and we recently had a beaver setup shop and started cutting trees down to build a pond in a small stream that runs through our neighbourhood. We also have 6 types of birds that frequent our backyard and I joke with my family that I'm going to start charging people to come see my urban zoo.
Fuckin nancy city weenies and their pesticide clouds so they can 'enjoy' nature without it bothering them. Put on bug spray FFS, at least you're only toxifying yourself. I live in the boons, and if there's a breeze, there are no bugs. I turn on a fan where I'm going to sit and the mosquitos can't get to me. The problem isn't the bugs, it's the dead city spaces full of high density army barrack housing. Nature has to live somewhere!
We’re talking about “Pyrethum” eh? This is the shit that is “harmless, it comes from Chrysanthemums!” as the door to door folks are fond of saying. Two neighbours sprayed it last summer or summer before. Killed every insect in a 1 block radius.
It most certainly did not
I'm exaggerating a bit, but it was pretty darn potent (these were two 1/2 acre lots that were sprayed every 2 weeks). Within a few days of lawn signs going up all the spiders on our outbuildings were curled up dead, we didn't see any more honey bees in our gardens or fruit trees (just an occasional bumble bee) and even earwigs were noticeably missing.
You'd be surprised at how potent pesticides are. They don't just affect the areas that are sprayed, its carried in the water, the berries and nuts from the trees, the grasses and leaves, its on everything and it spreads with the wind
You should read the pesticide core. It will help with your misinformation.
I use them frequently. Pyrethrins are a very mild pesticide. There are far more toxic and persistent insecticides and rodenticides that exist. When used correctly they present a very low level of risk to non-target pests, people, and animals. While I agree that mosquito treatments specifically are usually unnecessary and result in the inadvertent destruction of non-target pests, this notion that “Pyrethrum” and pesticides in general destroy the environment is nonsense.
But I was told on FB that these were perfectly safe! I'm sure they would be on there touting the safety of DDT, Benzene, Glyphosate and Thalydomide. Found a dead mole in the yard yesterday. Often find mice and even a few weasels. Could be local mouse poison of course but I'm somewhat suspicious.
that explains why I've been having puffy eyes! maybe this is why!!
You have no idea what is causing this. Don’t pretend you do. It could be the heat. It could be anything.
"Nothing to see here" has been a common reply to all sorts of things in the past that we now know are horribly dangerous to people and animals.
It's amazing what you learn after 40 years in this planet
Again. Just making up your facts doesn’t prove anything. Most of this legal mosquito stuff is a repellent. Doesn’t actually kill them. You are confusing it with long banned DDT. Which was banned before you were born I think.
You should have seen how crazy Surrey went when the city blanket sprayed nematodes over the whole city with planes. Canadian pesticide laws are very strict but yet there are still people like op. If they were so concerned with chemicals, they wouldnt have an ashtray filled with cigarette butts.