mosquitoe "problems" clarified

[Robin Leech]

There are some "problems" that we should leave alone.  Back in the 50s or
early 60s, the City of Edmonton began oiling stagnant ponds thoughout the
City - and probably some adjacent, non-City areas - and fogging.  Quick fast
like, it was noted that there were no more dragonflies and a few other
critters.

Both of these mosquito control methods persisted.  Though the skeeter
predators all but disappeared, the skeeters, a few days after fogging, did
not.  What was going on here?  More studies revealed that adult mosquitoes
can move about 30 km/day or so.  So, they stopped the fogging.  Very slowly,
over many years, we again began to see dragonflies.

Skeeters have amazing survival strategies.  If there is a dry spring, and
perched basins do not fill up with water, the skeeter eggs therein remain
alive and viable.  The accumulations of multi-years of eggs can simply
remain unhatched for, I believe up to 20 or more years.  Then, when a wet
spring occurs, all hell breaks lose.  The accumulated masses hatch.

We had that happen here in Edmonton, Alberta, in the early 80s.  The adult
mosquito populations were so high that golfers did not want to golf (and
THAT is really saying something), kids in play school and lower grade
schools were not allowed out at recess, etc.  It was requested of us that
all lawns be cut short and kept that way.  That lasted for about a month or
6 weeks or so.  It was, in no other words, incredible.  But, we lived with
it and through it.

If you want to have me give a precis on the unsuccessful attempts to control
the black fly, _Simulium arcticum_, in the Athabasca, Alberta, area, give me
a private e-mail.  The Athabasca River Black Fly Project, using methoxychlor
as a larvicide, spanned many years, involved municipal, county, provincial,
federal and university personnel and monies and equipment, millions and
millions of dollars, and got nowhere.

The area should never have been opened for domestic cattle operations.
This species of black fly, which ordinarily had a few moose, deer and other
critters for food supply, now had cattle by the thousands, and it responded
quite naturally by having a huge population increase to the point where
calves were dying of exsanguination (flies feeding mainly around the
umbilicus).  Or, there should have been strict rules/regs regarding the
kinds of cattle (light-colored, for example), timing of birth of calves,

THE MESSAGE: some things in our natural surroundings should not be messed
with, as we mess up far more than we think, some of it permanently, in our
hell-bent drive for development of one kind or another.

Robin Leech

----- Original Message -----
From: "scott magic" <srawdin at MAGIC.FR>
To: <TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG>
Sent: Monday, July 03, 2000 7:59 AM
Subject: mosquitoe "problems" clarified


> Dear Taxacomers,
>
> As Robin Leech suggested, I am clarifying a bit my request. Thank you
Robin.
>
> I'm sorry to have been so vague... but in fact we are searching in several
> directions.
>
> There are public health problems in mostly developping countries for which
a
> solution must be sought. (And as Rod Seppelt so rightly suggested , the
> developping countries mustn't continue on the assumption that the world is
> flat and borders impermeable !) The experiences that have been cited so
far,
> either ecologically friendly or not, will be considered in the light of a
> cost/effective program in these countries.
>
> There are local touristic economic motivations. Have mosquitos won't
travel
> (there) eliminates alot of hotel and restaurant reservations, eliminates
> souvenir shop browsers, beach-going families etc. Only a few die-hard bird
> watchers will still visit mosquito ridden wetlands.
>
> Of course big land developpers HATE mosquitoes, and pay off politicians to
> kill them with public money as well ... once they've purchased the
unwanted,
> infested lands, drained them and built their ticky tacky hotel complexes.
>
> So we are wondering how other countries have solved these social, public
> health, economic problems?
>
> Do you know of other problems?
>
> Thank you,
>
> Scott Rawdin
>