Should the city change mosquito fogging buffer zones?

Well, honestly, I wouldn't object to you tending your own property next to mine. I do object to the city pandering to the will of the self-gratifying, uninformed majority that seems to think they have a RIGHT to taxpayer covered poison to control nuisance mosquitoes and that they have a RIGHT to force that poison on people who don't want it at taxpayer expense.

What I would do, as a civil neighbour, is let you know that the stuff bothers me and hope that you'd respect that by warning me before you spray and avoid over-doing it. Everybody seems to be so narcissistic these days. It'd be nice if neighbours could make some reasonable compromises for the sake of community.

<----ROFL

That's one step before this:

What's with all those multi-syllabic words?

Anyhoo, I'm one of those peeps that says spray baby spray. Mostly because a 100m buffer encompasses a dozen or more houses. So by respecting the wishes of one residence (not dismissing the need mind you) we compromise the health of those living around that one residence.

This issue swings both ways. There needs to be a way to solve this problem so everyone is equally protected.

What I did was wait for the wind to be blowing in the opposite direction, but that wasn't good enough.
i also loaded the fogger with no chemicals, all that blew was smoke, in the opposite direction, but that wasn't good enough!
Some people are allergic to everything, and like I said are neurotic and there is nothing you can do.
We moved the next year to a house that was not covered by shade trees.
Fogging really did not solve the problem for more than 2 hours.
What did work and cost $1.00 or less was to hook up some lemon scented soap to the water hose and spray the yard, and the lemon scent cleared out the mosquitoes for several hours.
No malathion and no mosquitoes.

I'm allergic to everything and I promise I'm not a complete heartless b1tch about it. I'm just very opinionated and protective of my family.

I don't like the mosquitoes either and would really like to see some compromises made. I am interested about how exactly they set the 100m buffer and whether or not reducing it a bit would make a difference in all the whining or in the health of the people who are trying to avoid the malathion.

Strangely, I found myself a bit peeved that while Carman is spraying our homes, it seems as though they didn't bother to fog the public parks and ballfields. That's one compromise I could live with because I am not sleeping there. If they insist on fogging, they should be doing public spaces as a priority, no? Last week I had no choice but to spray down my already distractable 5 year old with deet so that he could play his last ballgame without being eaten alive. I avoid deet as much as possible too, but there are times where I can't avoid using it. In my personal experience though, as much as I dislike using deet, malathion's had a much more noticeable effect on my health.

Well...I don't like the smell of malathion personally.
Don't like using the chemicals at all.
I also don't have to worry about it so much...as I don't get bitten (no...not kidding...odd phenomenon).

But, if I knew for a fact that one of my neighbours had called in a "buffer-zone" that kept them from spraying and affecting my yard/trees/etc. where the mosquitoes would be...I would watch for the wind to be in the right direction and go out with a personal fogger and fog for HOURS!!!...just to make sure I get my yard...AND the IDIOT calling in a buffer zone.

When it comes to the city fogging...let them fog...the WHOLE city...cause otherwise there will be pockets of mosquitoes out feasting on everyone else, just because a couple of idiots want to feel they are "protecting the environment".

Want to protect the environment...then go live in one...find a farm OUTSIDE the city and live there. Guarantee you'll be fogging your property in the first year!.

Again with the assumption that it's all about protecting the environment....

well given that people are part of the environment. What else could it be besides protecting the environment?

MissFae wrote:Again with the assumption that it's all about protecting the environment....

It's not an assumption.
It's from direct interviews with people who admit they request buffer zones.

Crying that it "kills other bugs" or "kills their plants" or some other bull.

About the ONLY other bug I care if it kills is a dragonfly...and why? because they kill mosquitoes too.

Again...they city doesn't spray your back yard...or even your front yard...they drive down the street spraying into the air aiming for the trees, and letting it "float" in the air. They're not aiming hoses and blasting your front porch.

Sealing up a house if you don't want the smell is easy...it's called plastic.

But our last neighbour was telling me she wanted to request a buffer zone, but they wouldn't let her because she was renting...that it had to come from the owner of the property...and he wouldn't do it (thank God).

She also told me she was part of a group that meets and they actually try to "recruit" people strategically to form mass buffer zones.

yup. they do the measuring find out where 100M ends and find houses close to it to talk to.

not hard at all using google earth

Just saying that some people (me) do it to protect themselves, not out of a fear of killing other bugs, plants, or even cancer....but to protect themselves from acute illness.

Also, I am not complaining about the "smell" I am complaining about what it does to me. It has nothing to do with a "smell".

Are you not a part of the environment?

Yes, I am part of the environment. Surely you get my point though don't you? That I'm not just some hippie freak who obsesses chemicals and hates them just because they aren't naturally occurring substances?

dont know... you kinda look like a hippie freak and you did attend a rally about animals.....

hehehe... yeah of course we get your point

There's a big difference between a punk and a hippie :p

PS: I'm only vegan for the summer to lose weight. I swear I'm normally a carnivore.

"There's a big difference between a punk and a hippie :p"

one showers?

Punks shower when they can :p They also don't whine as much....plus they listen to WAY better music.

Anyway....

The addition of buffer zones to the equation was a political move designed to placate some fcukwads' bitching and is asinine.

With buffer zones there is no reason to spray as it only kills a few for a short time, and remember, mosquitoes don't care about buffer zones.

The question should be if we spray or don't spray. Period.

really the point is pretty much moot.

We dont spray the entire city in one evening
We dont spray 10K outside the city
We dont spray every second or third night

so buffer zones or not, mosquitos are blown from one area of the city to the other or from outside the city or they simply hatch and develop more.

The mosquitoes are getting blown?

I thought that the females were biters.

The good ones know when to bite and when to blow.

MissFae wrote:Personally, I don't think it's CAUSED by chemicals. I think it's caused by the same thing that makes us gag at the thought of eating sh1t. It's instinct. Some people's instincts are weaker than others. My body knows that these chemicals are harmful and reacts to deter me from being around them. It's just too bad I'm more evolved than the rest of you. Just sayin'.

More evolved? I would think being allergic and sensitive to everything under the sun would make you less evolved.

Yeah, that went right over your head.

Just sayin'.

actually its something I agree on. The human body is evolving to be "allergic" to multiple things that in recently past generations were never a problem. Problem is, before long its going to evolve itself out of being able to exist.