Zika: And Now This

As though we weren't already having enough problems in the bee pollinating/agricultural world.

Earlier this week, South Carolina beekeepers found millions of dead honey bees carpeting their apiaries, killed by an insecticide. Video posted by a beekeeper to Facebook showed thousands of dead insects heaped around hives, while a few survivors struggled to move the bodies of fellow bees.

“This is what’s left of Flowertown Bees,” a despondent keeper says in the video. Company co-owner Juanita Stanley told the Associated Press her farm looked “like it’s been nuked” and estimated 2.5 million bees were killed.

  Guardian

If the government had admitted the Zika virus issue was a real thing months ago, they would have used different methods to prevent its spread and not had to go to these lengths. And we undoubtedly would have had fewer human cases of the disease.

And WTF? anyway!  It's not like aerial bombardment of chemicals hasn't wrecked the environment and human health in the past.

Don't worry, these new pesiticides are safe "for humans"!  Is that why they make applicators wear this kind of gear?

It's okay.  Really.  He's just wearing that because his exposure is long and heavy.  You'll be okay.  Honest.  No worries.    Did anyone tell that man in the background to stay inside? - At least they didn't wait for him to go in.  He's got no protection against inhaling the shit, and his arms are bare.  Human skin is a living organ, in case we've forgotten.  (Is he blond or is he old?  Old people are much more susceptible to pesticide injury.)  You'll notice there is barely any skin exposed on the applicator - there's a reason for that.  And he's sporting some heavy duty respirator equipment.

They're spraying Naled.  Shall we have a look at the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)?

That's for an adult in good health, by the way.  And that's from a company that sells the stuff.

Now have a look at Cornell University's data sheet on Naled.  It starts out like this:  "Naled is moderately to highly toxic by ingestion, inhalation and dermal adsorption."  Go ahead, check it out.  Don't miss this part:

The organophosphate insecticides are cholinesterase inhibitors. They are highly toxic by all routes of exposure.

[...]

Some organophosphates may cause delayed symptoms beginning 1 to 4 weeks after an acute exposure which may or may not have produced more immediate symptoms. In such cases, numbness, tingling, weakness and cramping may appear in the lower limbs and progress to incoordination and paralysis. Improvement may occur over months or years, but some residual impairment may remain in some cases

  Cornell

(When they talk about "acute" exposure, they're not talking about heavy exposure, they're talking about being exposed one time as opposed to repeated exposures.)

Feeling better about the sprays?

South Carolina hobbyist Andrew Macke wrote that he had lost “thousands upon thousands of bees” and that the spraying had devastated his business. “Have we lost our mind,” he wrote, “spraying poison from the sky?”

  Guardian

The answer is yes.

And why? Because: tourism $$.

With the number of confirmed Zika cases continuing to rise, and the peak winter tourism season barely two months away, fears are growing that publicity over the mosquito-borne disease could put visitors off and deliver a hard hit to the [Miami]’s $24bn tourism industry.

[...]

“If they’re killing every mosquito, as they claim, everything else needs to be worried too,” he said. “That’s not rocket science, that’s common sense.”

  Guardian

Sorry, there's no common sense in our pest control arsenal.

Experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and independent universities say Naled is far safer than other chemicals. It breaks down rapidly and, in the very low doses at which it is prescribed, should not pose a risk to humans.

At this point, that seems like a drawback.

Also: "should not".  Keep your babies indoors, Miami.  If Zika doesn't get 'em, the USDA might.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.