By David Abramson
Dear Neighbors,
You may have seen that over the past several months, I have been sharing regularly with notifications about and my concerns regarding the pesticide spraying program that’s being done by the Sacramento Yolo Mosquito Vector District in our County. Yes I'd rather be doing something else but alas, many people don't even know this is happening, so I thought an awareness campaign was appropriate.
As others have posted, the agency has scheduled an entire blanket aerial spray of the chemical Diprom/Naled over the cities of Davis and Woodland tonight and tomorrow between 8:30PM-12AM.
My concerns are that:
- They are using a pesticide (Naled/Diprom) that’s currently banned in the EU due to concerns of it’s toxicity
- This pesticide has known toxic effect on bees and butterflies even at the doses prescribed for mosquito spraying programs (1)(2)(3). Many studies have conducted tests of varying quality in controlled environments, single-species results of large insects, or for single dose exposure, but not for this particular spraying program or frequency in which the spraying is happening and in an ecosystem setting accounting for all variables of the real world.
- Formal requests to the SacYolo Mosquito Control Vector District to share the science that shows the pesticide to be safe for the ecosystem, including our native pollinators has not been satisfactorily fulfilled. In neither of the two requests did they highlight a study showing the spraying program to be safe for insects or other pollinators.
- There is a lack of transparency, accountability, and oversight on the spraying programs. As far as I know, there are no ground samples being taken by the agency or independent researchers after these sprayings and no regular monitoring or data that's publicly available.
To that end, I am recommending that:
1) the spraying program, particularly the blanket aerial spraying program, be PAUSED until a thorough, independent, and unbiased review of the program can be done. I believe the Yolo County Board of Supervisors would have the authority to trigger the review. Email your electeds, show up for public comment, visit their offices (respectfully) and let them know/remind them of their responsibility and oath to protect the people in their County.
Board of Supervisors Contact info: https://www.yolocounty.org/government/board-of-supervisors
Davis City Council: citycouncilmembers@cityofdavis.org (will email all members)
2) if you do not consent to the spraying over your home, let it be known. Silence is implied consent. They derive their authority from statutes and codes. Our authority to breathe clean air, live in an unpolluted ecosystem, and not be poisoned or have our relatives poisoned is Human Rights 101. Our constitution specifically protects these inalienable rights. Let's see which stands up to scrutiny…email the agency at info@fightthebite.net and give them notice if you do not consent. It could be as simple as an email saying "I do not consent to the spraying program" with your name (and address if you'd like).
3) Do SCIENCE. Over the next couple days, collect and analyze plant and insect (if dead) samples: Several neighborhood scientists and ecological monitors including myself will be collecting samples, monitoring for dead insects, and sending to a lab for analysis. I am encouraging local scientists and amateurs alike to join the effort. Collect control samples in your gardens tonight if you can. We are seeking a researcher with access to run these kinds of lab tests locally, but if not I will be sending samples from my organic gardens and the surrounding area to labs for analysis over the next two days. If we have to go this route, we should pool resources since these GC/MS tests to detect pesticide residues are expensive (see comment for link to donate for testing).
4) formation of a working group of concerned folks to figure out what the next proper steps could be to inform and protect ourselves, and achieve transparency. Please send me a direct message or comment below if you're interested in helping this effort.
5) organic gardeners – cover your plots if possible (see image for a tarp/sign that we used in a previous year ?)
6) a lot more, but that's enough for now!
All this is expressed with compassion for those who are genuinely concerned about West Nile and who have been affected. I, and many others do not believe that this risk warrants the nuclear option, putting our ecosystem balance and health at stake, and representing a solution that creates more problems than it solves. If you are concerned about West Nile, it is recommended that you wear mosquito-repellent, wear long sleeves, and avoid going out around dusk. Common sense measures like draining standing water and having mosquito-eating fish in ponds can prevent breeding grounds.
Thanks for listening and thank you for being active members of your community!
Sources:
1) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14565579/
2) https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article27299731.html
Davisite 
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