DEAR EDITOR:

The Mahoning County Health Department announced a mosquito control spraying program for selected regions of the Mahoning County. This is inadvisable on several levels.

First, mosquito control should be on a need basis. That is, it should be based on the density of mosquitoes and the propensity for spreading dangerous diseases. Will the county do a mosquito survey before spraying?

Over past years, I kept an informal account of mosquitoes in the Poland Municipal Forest. Last year, they were at their lowest level, and this year, to date, there have been none, zero mosquitoes. Of course, this may change by July 19, but spraying should be based on a change, not a date on the calendar.

(Spraying in Austintown Park was scheduled to begin May 24.)

Second, last year the insecticide Kontrol 30-30 was used. Presumably, it will be used again this year. The active ingredient is permethrin, a broad-spectrum insecticide that kills insects, cats and aquatic animals indiscriminately. It has a half-life of 30 to 70 days, meaning that half of the applied material remains after 30 to 70 days.

Although it has low toxicity to birds and mammals, it kills the insects that they eat. The effect is the same as poisoning the birds directly. It will reduce their food supply and consequently diminish their populations.

Third, human life is a component of, and inextricably dependent, on natural ecosystems. We are in the midst of a global collapse of these ecosystems that support all life, including human life. Evidence for this collapse is the rapid extinction of plants and animal species, including insects, amphibians, birds and mammals. There are many causes for this mass extinction, but widespread use of herbicides and insecticides are contributing factors.

The Mahoning County Health Department is appropriately concerned with infectious diseases spread by mosquito vectors, but the health of the ecosystems that supports all of us must be paramount. Spraying toxins into the environment must be on a “need” basis; as of today, there is no need to spray for mosquito control.

LAUREN SCHRODER

Poland