Municipal Mosquito Fogging is Ineffective and Harmful

Stephanie Todd from St. Louis has been active on the issue of mosquito fogging (spraying pesticides in the air from a moving truck) and has done research on which cities in Missouri fog and which have moved away from this practice. Locally, Dee McCreary has done some research and found that Kansas City does not fog. 

According to Ms. Todd and Ms. McCreary, luckily, many municipalities have been moving away from fogging, including Kansas City. Ms. McCreary has been looking into this issue and has shared Stephanie's press release with us so you can find out more about the best ways to deal with mosquitos without the old-fashioned fogging methods.

Fogging is indiscriminately harmful to insects and pollinators. Fogging kills adult mosquitoes but has no effect on eggs or larva. The chemical is called an “adulticide” because it kills adult mosquitoes. Larvacides are chemicals put in standing water to kill the larva. Kansas City, Missouri does not fog. 

Several Missouri cities have stopped fogging and instead are reducing mosquito pests by putting larvacide in standing water. Brentwood stopped fogging several years ago and said it was an easy decision, once they had the facts. Ellisville has also stopped fogging, and as the alderman Dan Duffy stated, "The primary reason Ellisville stopped fogging is that, at best, it has a very short-term effect on adult mosquitos. In our view it is better to eliminate or control larva." 

The St. Louis, Missouri Health Department website recommends preventing mosquito bites with the “4 D’s”: 

• Drain standing water - Mosquito larva develop in standing water. The best way to stop them from multiplying is to eliminate standing water around the house, including clearing out the gutters. 

• Dress in long-sleeved shirt and pants. 

• DEET – Whenever you are outside, use insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil. The best way to keep mosquitoes from biting is to use a personal insect repellant, advises Jean Ponzi, Green Resources manager with the EarthWays Center of Missouri Botanical Gardens. Mosquitos are attracted by the CO2 we respire through our skin and since everyone's chemistry is different, you may have to try a few repellants to see what works best. 

• Dawn/Dusk – limit time spent outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, during dawn and dusk. Fans are also a good way to keep mosquitoes away as mosquitoes cannot fly against the breeze. Individual actions do make a big difference in limiting mosquito populations, helping the whole community.