Diazinon v. Snakes
Mark Rogers
I think I remember someone telling me that Diazinon is good at keeping
snakes away. Has anyone else heard this? Is it fact or fiction?
Thanks,
Mark Rogers
Little Rock, AR
mro...@speedlaw.com
d...@bio-organics.com
I might presume that it will eventually cause them to mutate, grow two
heads and slither into themselves. But, I've not heard about direct
effects on repelling the current generation of snakes.
The local paper just had an article about a dummy who treated his
daughter's head lice with industrial-strength Diazinon. Sent her to the
hospital with convulsions and possible permanent damage. Didn't say if
it got rid of the lice.
Don Chapman
Bio/Organics, Inc.
Camarillo CA
<http://www.bio-organics.com>
Allyn Weaks
> I think I remember someone telling me that Diazinon is good at keeping
> snakes away. Has anyone else heard this? Is it fact or fiction?
It doesn't matter. If use against snakes isn't listed on the label it is
ILLEGAL to use it that way. The label is the law (federal law). You are
not allowed to use any pesticide in any way that is not clearly spelled out
on the label, including the list of species. This is not just to annoy
you, but to keep _me_ somewhat safer.
Diazinon is bad stuff, and is badly overused as it is. It kills more
beneficial insects than bad ones, and leaches into water supplies. There
are plenty of safer (to humans and the ecosystem) insecticides and
solutions.
If you just can't bring yourself to the better solution of coexistence with
snakes, there are chemicals that target them. Stick with those instead of
risking a hefty fine.
--
Allyn Weaks al...@u.washington.edu
PNW Native Wildlife Gardening: http://chemwww.chem.washington.edu/natives/
Any advertisements sent to any of my email accounts will be billed $25 per
message, $1 per character, including all header lines. No exceptions.
Sending such mail constitutes agreement to these terms.
Bill Morgan
> I think I remember someone telling me that Diazinon is good at keeping
> snakes away. Has anyone else heard this? Is it fact or fiction?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark Rogers
> Little Rock, AR
> mro...@speedlaw.com
_\ll/_ _\ll/_ _\l
2.5 cowlicks. Kind of a funny idea for April Fools, but not well developed.
*Almost* works as a troll, but you'd have a hard time convincing anyone
that there are idiots out there who would actually consider this.
Regards,
Bill
--
Bill Morgan
wtmo...@pilot.msu.edu
Center for Room Temperature Confusion
Sammk
fiction....
Use sulfur and that will keep them away. Or remove the environment that
attracts the snakes...
Martin
sa...@aol.com
counides,m
Mark Rogers wrote:
>
> I think I remember someone telling me that Diazinon is good at keeping
> snakes away. Has anyone else heard this? Is it fact or fiction?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mark Rogers
> Little Rock, AR
> mro...@speedlaw.com
Why do you want the snakes to go away? Do you have poisionous snakes?
Actually they are more afraid of you than you are of them. Wear shoes
and clump your feet around when in the brush and they will try to go
elsewhere. Snakes eat rodents. We had a Bull Snake on our place the
last two years. They like to eat rattlers.
Naomi Counides
Associated Beefalo of Idaho
Bill Rudolph
Ed Griffin wrote:
>
> On Mon, 31 Mar 1997 23:31:20 -0800, al...@u.washington.edu (Allyn Weaks)
> wrote:
>
> >In article <33404A...@speedlaw.com>, mro...@speedlaw.com wrote:
> >
> >> I think I remember someone telling me that Diazinon is good at keeping
> >> snakes away. Has anyone else heard this? Is it fact or fiction?
> >
> >ILLEGAL to use it that way. The label is the law (federal law). You are
>
> ALLOWED? Marvellous!! ....or God'll gitcha....?
>
> I seldom do evil things in the garden, but your sort makes me curious:
>
> if I chose to ignore, deviate from, contravene, or get tired of reading
> and ignore, each and every imperious federal edict printed on (and on,
> and on....) each and every label, each and every day for the rest of my
> life,
>
> WHO will notice,
> WHO will know what they are witnessing,
> WHO will know what to report to WHOM, and then
> WHAT bureaucrat will come to my home, watch me for however long to
> substantiate the report, record the occurrence(s), report them up the
> chain, until
> WHAT arm of the bureaucracy goes into court, and begins the de facto
> process of prosecution????
>
> Might you be so kind as to spell these things out for me...??
>
> TIA -
>
> ---- Ed Griffin ---- egri...@bellsouth.net ---- USDA Zone 10b (FL)-
Just read an article in the St Paul Pioneer Prees regarding MN and just
this type of thing.
They have a new research facility (3.6 Million). This is staffed with
forensic vetrinarians whose main job is to follow up on wildlife
killings ect. They included to cases one were a guy poisoned a wolf up
north and they tracked him down by the type of poison used and the
venison in his freezer. After 3 yrs he just plead guilty and recieved a
very stiff sentence. Another case concerned a person having fish in a
tank that were out of season were he lived but in season in a nearby
waterway. He claimed they came fromn the legal source but these state
employees proved trough DNA that they came from the lake and again
forced him to plead guilty.
So I guess it goes to prove that we pay to much in taxes and the
government will track you down no matter what the cost.
--
Bill R. :)
W.J. Rudolph & Associates
http://cloudnet.com/~wrudolph
Paul and Roxanne Mitchell
Ed Griffin wrote:
> if I chose to ignore, deviate from, contravene, or get tired of reading
> and ignore, each and every imperious federal edict printed on (and on,
> and on....) each and every label, each and every day for the rest of my
> life,
>
> WHO will notice,
> WHO will know what they are witnessing,
> WHO will know what to report to WHOM, and then
> WHAT bureaucrat will come to my home, watch me for however long to
> substantiate the report, record the occurrence(s), report them up the
> chain, until
> WHAT arm of the bureaucracy goes into court, and begins the de facto
> process of prosecution????
>
> Might you be so kind as to spell these things out for me...??
> ---- Ed Griffin ---- egri...@bellsouth.net ---- USDA Zone 10b (FL)-
Ed
Might you be so kind to tell me;
-Do you think there should be *ANY* laws governing the proper and safe
use of pesticides?
-Do you feel that *YOU* should obey these laws as they pertain to
pesticides?
-Do you feel that the EPA couldn't determine where the source of, oh,
let's say, gasoline that maybe showed up in your neighbors well-water
when someone that lives near you decided to get rid of some weeds with
it a month or so ago?
-Are you ignorant (root word of which is IGNORE) of the dangers of
improper use of pesticides or is it that you just don't care?
People that used pesticides improperly years ago and people who would
wontedly disregard the safe use of them now are one of the reasons I
have to pay for a RUP license now.
As far as:
> WHO will notice,
Your neighbors when gasoline or improperly used pesticides show up in
their well.
> WHO will know what they are witnessing,
I know that I would. Again, EPA can usually find the source without
necessarily having a witness to it. Note the finding of the source of
TCP(?) that contaminated some lakes of downtown Orlando, FL. that was
dumped in the ground almost 20 years ago.
> WHO will know what to report to WHOM,
I would know to report you to the EPA and I would guess that a lot of
others would too. When EPA found the source they wouldn't *need* anybody
from that point.
> WHAT bureaucrat will come to my home,
An official from EPA
> WHAT arm of the bureaucracy goes into court, and begins the de facto
> process of prosecution????
EPA with (somebody correct me if I'm wrong) the Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, or FIFRA, that was passed in 1972 and
substantially amended since then. Persons who do not obey these laws and
are caught and found guilty are subject to fines and jail terms.
Civil penalties can be as much as $5000.00 for EACH offense. Some
violations may also subject you to criminal penalties that can be as
much as $25,000.00 or one year in prison or both.
You live in Florida. Go to the Orlando Senteinal's www page and research
both the TCP in the lakes and also a company by the name of, I believe,
"The Lake Docters" in Winter Springs, Fl. a year or two ago and see for
yourself what EPA *can* do if it chooses.
Paul and Roxanne Mitchell USDA Zone 9b
mitc...@iag.net
BONVICINI,GIOV./EP
In article <334421...@cloudnet.com>, Bill Rudolph <wrud...@cloudnet.com> writes...
>> >
>> >It doesn't matter. If use against snakes isn't listed on the label it is
>> >ILLEGAL to use it that way. The label is the law (federal law). You are
>> >not allowed....
>>
>> ALLOWED? Marvellous!! ....or God'll gitcha....?
>>
>> I seldom do evil things in the garden, but your sort makes me curious:
>>
>> and ignore, each and every imperious federal edict printed on (and on,
>> and on....) each and every label, each and every day for the rest of my
>> life,
>>
>> process of prosecution????
>>
>this type of thing.
>They have a new research facility (3.6 Million). This is staffed with
>forensic vetrinarians whose main job is to follow up on wildlife
>killings ect. They included to cases one were a guy poisoned a wolf up
>north and they tracked him down by the type of poison used and the
>venison in his freezer. After 3 yrs he just plead guilty and recieved a
>very stiff sentence. Another case concerned a person having fish in a
>tank that were out of season were he lived but in season in a nearby
>waterway. He claimed they came fromn the legal source but these state
>employees proved trough DNA that they came from the lake and again
>forced him to plead guilty.
>So I guess it goes to prove that we pay to much in taxes and the
>government will track you down no matter what the cost.
>--
i'd call this tax money well spent. if you poison or otherwise degrade
the environment you are damaging everyone. and you should pay the price.
i hope they put chemical markers in diazinon - they should anyway.
Mark Rogers
BONVICINI,GIOV./EP wrote:
>
> In article <334421...@cloudnet.com>, Bill Rudolph <wrud...@cloudnet.com> writes...
> >> >
> >> >It doesn't matter. If use against snakes isn't listed on the label it is
> >> >ILLEGAL to use it that way. The label is the law (federal law). You are
> >> >not allowed....
include enough detail in my original inquiry. Bill raises a very good
point about federal law and labels on pesticides.
I had pests that I wanted to control, went to the nursery, compared
labels of a few pesticides, chose one (diazinon) that said it would
control the pests that I wanted controlled and used it according to the
instructions on the package. On an unrelated note, we had seen a
poisonous snake or two in our yard in the past, but I have not noticed
any recently. I was curious whether our dogs, diazinon or both might
deserve credit, and the question was merely an attempt to satisfy my
curiousity. If curiosity is a crime, then send in the thought police.
Again, Bill's point is well taken; I was not and do not advocate the use
of diazinon or any other pesticide in any way other than according to
label instructions.
Thanks,
Mark Rogers
mro...@speedlaw.com
Bill Morgan
In article <3346c823...@news.mia.bellsouth.net>,
egri...@bellsouth.net (Ed Griffin) wrote:
> On Mon, 31 Mar 1997 23:31:20 -0800, al...@u.washington.edu (Allyn Weaks)
> wrote:
>
> >It doesn't matter. If use against snakes isn't listed on the label it is
> >ILLEGAL to use it that way. The label is the law (federal law). You are
> >not allowed....
>
> ALLOWED? Marvellous!! ....or God'll gitcha....?
>
> I seldom do evil things in the garden,
I love it when people do "Devil's Advocate" stuff. I do it often enough
that I can't complain when someone else does. Especially not when it is
done so well.
Of course, you don't do "evil things" in the garden. Not many people on
this group are actually evil. [Me excepted, of course, but then I am a
card-carrying nozzlehead.] Had you done this as a separate thread, it would
have made a nice troll.
>
> if I chose to ignore, deviate from, contravene, or get tired of reading
> and ignore, each and every imperious federal edict printed on (and on,
> and on....) each and every label, each and every day for the rest of my
> life,
>
> WHO will notice,
> WHO will know what they are witnessing,
> WHO will know what to report to WHOM, and then
> WHAT bureaucrat will come to my home, watch me for however long to
> substantiate the report, record the occurrence(s), report them up the
> chain, until
> WHAT arm of the bureaucracy goes into court, and begins the de facto
> process of prosecution????
>
You make some very good points in general.
The one fault is that you seem to imply that Allyn is naive. AFAIK, this is
not the case. Moralistic in a way, yes. Naive, no.
I am one of only a few nozzleheads on this group. Or at least one of the
few who posts regularly.
The attitude you are lampooning here is of great concern to us nozz's, as I
suspect you know. We are all aware of the fact that most laws/regulations
can't be fully enforced.
If I steal a pen from work, who knows?
If I drive 71 MPH, who knows?
$#!+, the justice system being what it is, people get away with murder.
Even in Florida.
$#!+, in Florida, guys probably get off for (and probably from) beating
their wives. Does that make it right?
But back to the case at hand:
Your point is well-taken. The world is full of boneheads. One of the other
nozz's on this group sends me a private e-mail to me every time I imply
that the average IQ in America is anything over 85. He's seen it all, I
suppose. I'm not as an experienced nozz as he is, I guess. [Sorry to imply
your name, Mike.]
The law, no matter how reasonable cannot always be enforced.
So what happens then is that the idiots that you describe take liberties
with the law because they think they can get away with it. Doesn't matter
how stupid their actions are, or how much risk they take or put on other
people. It's just convenient. And it is some sort of "high" to do it just
because it *is* illegal.
Been there. Done that. Grew up.
A few get caught. It always happens. Just recently it was the morons who
used methyl parathion as a household fumigant down in the south central US.
Lots of trouble from that. Houses being evacuated, ripped apart.
This makes the papers, causes a public outcry. The outcry results in
tougher laws and makes even safe pesticides harder to get. That plays into
the hands of the radical leftist environmentalists. (There are OGs =
organic gardeners [good folk in general], and then there are OGREs =
organic gardeners ranting endlessly.)
So the few who engage in such stupidity make it tougher for the rest of us
who choose to use chemicals, but to use them responsibly. Don't blame the
gov't. Don't blame the OGREs. It's the intellectually challenged "spray
first and ask questions later" crowd that drives this. It's the people who
are too lazy to do it right that make it wrong for the rest of us.
Actually, the hard-core nozz crowd may like this. (I'm a sorta minor-league
nozz, so I don't). If a bunch of jackasses go too far and make it harder to
get pesticides without some sort of license, then the nozz's stand to make
more money. "Nope, you can't use Sevin because of some fools who misused
it." Oddly, this puts the hard-core nozz's sort of in league with the
OGREs, doesn't it? Pesticides harder to get because the average user is a
dolt. Serves everyone but the centrist, I'd say.
As to your particular questions:
> WHO will notice,
Depends on who your neighbor is, and who is walking by at the time.
> WHO will know what they are witnessing,
Ditto, Rush.
> WHO will know what to report to WHOM,
Usually the state's environmental agency (EPA/DNR/DEQ), or more likely (as
in Michigan) the state's Department of Agriculture.
> and then
> WHAT bureaucrat will come to my home, watch me for however long to
> substantiate the report, record the occurrence(s), report them up the
> chain, until
> WHAT arm of the bureaucracy goes into court, and begins the de facto
> process of prosecution????
Believe you me, if it has gone so far that someone is reported, the rest
goes down fast. Not a slap on the wrist, either. Unless you've got lotsa
bucks.
OJ!
er, Oy, Vey!
> Might you be so kind as to spell these things out for me...??
My pleasure:
"t-h-e-s-e t-h-i-n-g-s o-u-t f-o-r m-e"
Close enough?
Bill Rudolph
Bill Rudolph wrote:
>
> Ed Griffin wrote:
> >
> > On Mon, 31 Mar 1997 23:31:20 -0800, al...@u.washington.edu (Allyn Weaks)
> > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >> I think I remember someone telling me that Diazinon is good at keeping
> > >> snakes away. Has anyone else heard this? Is it fact or fiction?
> > >
> > >ILLEGAL to use it that way. The label is the law (federal law). You are
> > >not allowed....
> >
> > ALLOWED? Marvellous!! ....or God'll gitcha....?
> >
> >
> > and ignore, each and every imperious federal edict printed on (and on,
> > and on....) each and every label, each and every day for the rest of my
> > life,
> >
> > WHO will notice,
> > WHO will know what they are witnessing,
> > WHO will know what to report to WHOM, and then
> > WHAT bureaucrat will come to my home, watch me for however long to
> > substantiate the report, record the occurrence(s), report them up the
> > chain, until
> > WHAT arm of the bureaucracy goes into court, and begins the de facto
> > process of prosecution????
> >
> >
> this type of thing.
> They have a new research facility (3.6 Million). This is staffed with
> forensic vetrinarians whose main job is to follow up on wildlife
> killings ect. They included to cases one were a guy poisoned a wolf up
> north and they tracked him down by the type of poison used and the
> venison in his freezer. After 3 yrs he just plead guilty and recieved a
> very stiff sentence. Another case concerned a person having fish in a
> tank that were out of season were he lived but in season in a nearby
> waterway. He claimed they came fromn the legal source but these state
> employees proved trough DNA that they came from the lake and again
> forced him to plead guilty.
> So I guess it goes to prove that we pay to much in taxes and the
> government will track you down no matter what the cost.
> --
located the article.
The lab is the "National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in
Ashland, Oregon".
The above cases were joint efforts with the University of Minnesota And
the MN. DNR.
Robert Berkheiser
Unless you are part of the government, then you are and
exception. Its a shame that humans don't have the same
protection as animals. rick
Larry L. Williams
Mark,
don't let the "GOOFBALLS" get to ya. I have the same problem here in
Southern Alabama, I had fire ants real bad in my yard, I bought a
"liqued" diazinon and sprayed the yard. I found that if I spray every 6
months the ants are gone for good. I DID NOTICE that I no longer had
rattle snakes creeping around in my wood pile nor my bushes. I think
your assesment is correct. I have two chows too, but the snakes would
cuddle in these areas anyway. The snakes are gone and the dogs have
never been effected. Just make sure the liqued is dry before letting the
dogs out. I have used this now for 5 years!
Have a great day!!!
Larry
Klondike
[comments begging the enforcement question snipped for brevity]
>
> Unless you are part of the government, then you are and
> exception. Its a shame that humans don't have the same
> protection as animals. rick
Oh, please. You're talking about breaking THE LAW. You want to live in
a democracy? You pays yer nickel and you takes yer chances. Or, to cite
another old saw, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
Last word: I'm not planning to poison you (see, you do have the same
protection); therefore, please don't poison me, my water, my food, my
air. . . .
Paul and Roxanne Mitchell
> Ed Griffin wrote:
> > WHO will notice,
> > WHO will know what they are witnessing,
> > WHO will know what to report to WHOM, and then
> > WHAT bureaucrat will come to my home, watch me for however long to
> > substantiate the report, record the occurrence(s), report them up the
> > chain, until
> > WHAT arm of the bureaucracy goes into court, and begins the de facto
> > process of prosecution????
> >
> > Might you be so kind as to spell these things out for me...??
>
> > ---- Ed Griffin ---- egri...@bellsouth.net ---- USDA Zone 10b (FL)-
>
> Ed
>
> Might you be so kind to tell me;
>
> -Do you think there should be *ANY* laws governing the proper and safe
> use of pesticides?
>
> -Do you feel that *YOU* should obey these laws as they pertain to
> pesticides?
>
> -Do you feel that the EPA couldn't determine where the source of, oh,
> let's say, gasoline that maybe showed up in your neighbors well-water
> when someone that lives near you decided to get rid of some weeds with
> it a month or so ago?
>
> -Are you ignorant (root word of which is IGNORE) of the dangers of
> improper use of pesticides or is it that you just don't care?
Been three days. Guess he doesn't want to answer.
Mike Canzoneri
Mark Rogers wrote:
> I had pests that I wanted to control, went to the nursery, compared
> labels of a few pesticides, chose one (diazinon) that said it would
> control the pests that I wanted controlled and used it according to the
> instructions on the package. On an unrelated note, we had seen a
> poisonous snake or two in our yard in the past, but I have not noticed
First of all...harmful snakes aren't poisonous, they're venomous. I'm
not trying to rag on you for semantics but rather I'm trying to point
out the fact that most people are filled with so much misinformation
about snakes that you very well might be misidentifying the snakes you
see in your yard. I know this is very possible because I have personally
witnessed hundreds of people identify harmless water snakes as water
moccasins. I spent four years as a volunteer in Everglades National Park
(certainly a place with a higher ratio of venomous reptiles to harmless
reptiles than your back yard) and I can tell you that more than 99% of
the snakes I ran across in South Florida were harmless. Furthermore, the
venomous snakes there were anything but aggressive. Water moccasins,
Dusky Pigmy rattlesnakes and Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes native to
the Everglades all keep their distance from humans. These snakes become
dangerous when molested or handled improperly.
> any recently. I was curious whether our dogs, diazinon or both might
> deserve credit,
If the diazinon didn't kill your dogs then it probably (hopefully)
hasn't killed any other wildlife...unless you are using it near a source
of water. If the snakes you used to see in your yard are truly venemous
then I doubt the dogs had anything to do with their disappearance. If
the dogs tried to kill a pit viper (aside from the coral snake, all of
our venemous snakes here in North America are pit vipers) then they
surely would have been bitten and probably would have died.
> Again, Bill's point is well taken; I was not and do not advocate the use
> of diazinon or any other pesticide in any way other than according to
> label instructions.
MikeC
--
********************************************************************************
* Views expressed are my own and not of my
employer.
********************************************************************************
* Do they still play the blues in Chicago when baseball season rolls
around
* When the snow melts away do the Cubbies still play in their ivy
covered burial ground
* When I was a boy they were my pride and joy but now they only bring
fatigue
* To the home of the brave, the land of the free and the doormat of the
National league.
*
* Steve Goodman - from A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request
********************************************************************************
roo
two good methods of immediate snake control are:
1. peacocks...especially the females!
2. crushed seashells...can be bought by the bag...works especially
around the perimeter of a greenhouse. Sharp shards of shells are not
pleasant to slither upon! Same goes for sluggo-s!
ruthie
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Diazinon is a cancer causing agent.
--
John A. Keslick Jr.---Tree Anatomist & Tree Biologist.-
Sustainable Forest? Only with TREE BIOLOGY in mind.
Organic Tree Treatment Web Site:
http://www.pond.com/~treeman
Liz Albrook
John A. Keslick, Jr. wrote:
>
> Diazinon is a cancer causing agent.
From ExToxNet:
**************
Carcinogenic Effects
Diazinon is not considered carcinogenic. Test on rats over
a two year period at moderate doses (about 45 mg/kg) did not
cause tumor development in the test animals.
************
see: http://ace.orst.edu/cgi-bin/mfs/01/pips/diazinon.p93
Liz
Liz Albrook
Magdalena Cano Plewinska wrote:
>
> Liz Albrook <ealb...@lewiston.com> wrote:
>
> >John A. Keslick, Jr. wrote:
> >> Diazinon is a cancer causing agent.
> >
> >From ExToxNet:
> >**************
> >Carcinogenic Effects
>
> Liz, why do you even bother answering those posts? I know, I know: to protect
> the gullible. But honestly, anyone with any sense has this guy filtered out (by
> computer, by hand or by mind). And the rest aren't going to listen to reason,
> anyway. I just have his posts marked "read" because I just can't take them
> anymore.
Some people are new to the group and some people don't know about
ExToxNet.
Most of the time I reply to Keslick for entertainment. After all, this
is
Usenet, not the Encyclopedia Britannica (although I've been known to
read
it for entertainment, too.).
Liz
Liz
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Magdalena Cano Plewinska wrote:
>
> Liz Albrook <ealb...@lewiston.com> wrote:
>
> >John A. Keslick, Jr. wrote:
> >> Diazinon is a cancer causing agent.
> >
> >From ExToxNet:
> >**************
> >Carcinogenic Effects
> > Diazinon is not considered carcinogenic. [snip]
>
> Liz, why do you even bother answering those posts? I know, I know: to protect
> the gullible. But honestly, anyone with any sense has this guy filtered out (by
> computer, by hand or by mind). And the rest aren't going to listen to reason,
> anyway. I just have his posts marked "read" because I just can't take them
> anymore.
>
> Miami, FL / USDA zone 10, Sunset zone 25
> Email: mplew...@earthlink.net
Home pesticides linked to some cancer in
KIDS
By Anita Manning
USA TODAY
Lawn treatments and home pest extermination are associated with the
increased risk of cancer in children, says a study in the current
American
Journal of Public Health.
Researchers from the University of North Carolina interviewed parents
of 252 children diagnosed with cancer between 1976-83, and 222
children similar in age and other characteristics. They found:
O Kids whose yards were treated with chemicals were four times as likely
to be diagnosed later with soft-tissue sarcomas, malignant tumors of
muscle and connective tissue. Researchers did not ask what chemicals
were used, but say those “most likely to be used by people in the study
area' were 2,4-D, carbaryl and Diazinon.
OChildren whose homes contained pest strips faced 2 1/2 to 3 times the
risk of leukemia. The resin strips used to kill flies are treated with
dichlorvos. Dennis Utterback of the Environmental Protection Agency
says dichlorvos is undergoing EPA review because of “concerns about
the risks of cancer and neurotoxicity.”
O Kids whose home had been exterminated for fleas, termites or other
bugs faced a slightly elevated risk of lymph cancer. Most likely
chemicals chlordane, heptachlor, Diazinon and chlorpyritos (Dursban).
Chlordane is no longer licensed by the EPA: heptachlor is legal only for
use on fire ants in electric utility boxes.
“We found within our data that there’s a strong indication that some
home use of pesticides is associated with some childhood cancers,” says
Dr. Jack K. Leiss of the State Center for Health and Environmental
Statistics in Raleigh, N.C. who led the study. But he cautions, “its
only
a suggestion because of the limitations of our study. You cannot infer
cause and effect at all.....further research needs to be done to
elucidate
that.”
Spokesman from association representing the chemical industry hadn’t
seen the report and would not comment.
Article was in USA TODAY Feb. 27, 1995
John A. Keslick Jr.
Professional Modern Arborist & Tree Biologist
Concerned Parents may contact me at
610-696-5353
We care.
HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR
Old fashioned alternatives to pesticides may prove best.
By Anita Manning
USA TODAY
If the government licenses a product, it must be safe, right?
Don’t count on it.
“No one should think that because the (Environmental Protection
Agency) allows it, a pesticide is safe,” says Jerome Blondell of the
EPA’s
pesticides office. “No pesticide is safe. They’re designed to kill
living
organisms. They should be treated with respect — including the
warnings on the label.”
The label warnings — endlessly long and in tiny print — are worth the
effort to read, he says. “Those are the things that are extremely
thoroughly reviewed by about 800 people in the pesticides office at the
EPA. If people don’t read them, and assume pesticides are safe,
they’re
making a mistake.”
A number of small studies has found an association between
commonly used chemicals and cancer in adults. The EPA and the
National Cancer Institute are conducting a five-year study, involving
80,000 people living on farms in Iowa and North Carolina, on the effects
of exposure to agriculture chemicals.
Five studies — including one published today in the American Journal
of Public Health — have suggested a relationship between cancer in
children and home pesticides.
In that study, children born to women who had pest strips in their
homes during the last three months of their pregnancies faced a
threefold
increased risk of leukemia.
Says Blondell: “In general, what we say to any woman who is expecting
is that we do take pesticides off the market because they have
reproductive or cancer effects, but we can’t always be sure we’ve gotten
them all. And because we can’t, the sensible thing for a pregnant
woman to do is avoid the exposure to pesticides to a practical and
reasonable extent.”
He advises using “alternatives that are safer...In the case of the
pest
strips, that might involve putting up with flies or using mechanical
means.”
Mechanical means? “A fly swatter,” he says.
That, or old fashioned fly paper, advises Mike McGrath, editor of
Organic Gardening magazine. “It has worked for 100 years, and you can
find it in every hardware store,” he says.
There’s no reason to spray anything into the air or onto surfaces,
McGrath says. “People who don’t want to be organic, can use chemicals
in a safe way by using traps...that the bug or animal craws into.”
In recent years, he says, the trend has been toward organic
solutions
to common home and garden problems. An annual survey on gardening
by Organic Gardening, released today, shows 78 million adults are
gardeners, up 30% since 1992. Of those, the report says, 37% used
“primarily organic methods,” while 80% used one or more ORGANIC
gardening techniques.
Article was in USA TODAY Feb. 27, 1995
John A. Keslick Jr.
Professional Modern Arborist & Tree Biologist
Concerned Parents may contact me at
610-696-5353
We care.
Some non-toxic home remedies
Mike McGrath of Organic Gardening magazine and Debra Lynn Dadd,
Author of Nontoxic, Natural & Earthwise (Tarcher, $12.95), suggest
these non-toxic solutions to pesky problems:
OAnts — boric acid, which is available in a number of different
formulations. Use it in a trap.
ORoaches — dry things out with a hair dryer. Roaches are attracted
to moisture, so seal cracks, fix leaks. Other ideas: Mix equal parts of
oatmeal or flour with plaster of Paris — or equal parts of baking soda
and
sugar — and spread around infested are.
OFleas — before bed, put a light over a shallow pan of soapy water.
Turn out all lights. Empty water every morning and continue for one
month. Fleas go for heat and light, and they can’t swim.
OLawn weeds — raise the cutting level on your lawn mower so the
grass can grow three or four inches tall, giving it a strong root system
that
will block weeds. Other methods: Pull weeds, spray with soap solution,
or douse with fresh human urine. (It’s very high in nitrogen and will
burn
the weeds).
OGarden pest — suck them up with a hand-held vacuum cleaner.
OFlies, mosquitoes — fix screens. Vacuum them up. For flies, hang
clusters of cloves; make flypaper by spreading honey on yellow (flies
favorite color) paper, scratch an orange peel and leave it out — the
citrus
oil repels flies.
Article was in USA TODAY Feb. 27, 1995
John A. Keslick Jr.
Professional Modern Arborist & Tree Biologist
Concerned Parents may contact me at
610-696-5353
We care.
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Safe Tree, Lawn and Garden Care
Why take chances?
by John A. Keslick, Jr.
Many common tree, lawn, and garden products can pose a serious health
threat to you, your children, and your pets. Why take chances with your
family's health this spring? With Organic and Bio-Dynamic tree, lawn,
and garden care, you can take advantage of modern technology and
minimize the impact of hazardous chemicals on you and the environment.
It works like this. Bio- Dynamics makes use of life forces and utilizes
the basic principles of nature to add vitality to trees, lawns, and
gardens. Organic fertilizers promote healthy soil which contributes to
healthier living. It would be wise to consider organic and bio-dynamic
methods for your garden and fruit trees, thus increasing the nutritional
value. However be aware that many companies claim to be organic yet use
synthetic chemicals. Do not be fooled. Ask them for a list of what
they are using along with a MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet). Ask them
if they are using a synthetic pesticide. You have a right to know and
can insist on safer alternatives. There are many non- profit groups
that are a very good source for information on safe care.
These include:
Food & Water at 1-800-eat-safe
American Pie at 1-800-320-apie
Pennsylvania Resource Council (PRC) at 610-353-1555
Grass Roots the Organic Way (GROW) at 610-353-2838
Clean Water Action at 215-629-4022
The Bio-Dynamic Farming and Gardening Association, Inc. at
1-800-516-7797
and the list goes on.
For additional information contact John A. Keslick, Jr. at
610-696-5353. Or Email to tre...@pond.com You may use our web site
at http://www.pond.com/~treeman/
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Tree Biologist & Modern Arborist
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Boy that stuff really burns and hurts people. Ag. pesticides that is.
3 firemen dead, not good.
ARE CHEMICALS PUTTING OUR BRAINS IN A TAILSPIN?
Just about every week brings more bad news. Another male friend has
prostate cancer or bone- marrow cancer. Another female friend has
breast or cervical cancer.
Meanwhile, my sister, who works for a local veterinary oncologist,
reports that she's chagrined by all the animals - including puppies and
kittens only a few months old - being carried in sick and ding from
cancer. Something awful is going on, she says. The word she uses to
describe it is "epidemic."
I'm not an alarmist. I tend to be skeptical of apocalyptic prophets,
tree-hugging doomsayers and environmental Jeremiahs. But lately, I've
been wondering whether our love affair with technology is backfiring
like a Faustian deal. Are we now paying the piper for polluting the
land, water and air with industrial poisons and toxic chemicals?
No question about it, says Steve Saul.
Weekdays, Saul is director of the drug and alcohol program at the
Northeast Community Center for Mental Health/Mental Retardation. On the
side, he's a self-styled "environmental activist." He describes his
modus operandi as "creative pestering," which is a pleasant way of
saying he's a nudnik who'll keep coming at you with the persistence of a
bloodthirsty mosquito to get his message across.
The last time we visited Saul, a Wayne resident, he was pestering Radnor
Township to go natural, to quit using poisonous fertilizers, pesticides
and herbicides on its parklands playing fields. To its credit, the
township was already headed in that direction, figuring it's better to
live with a few more weeds than to endanger the health and welfare of
kids and pets.
Now Saul is cranking his siren to warn us about "neurotoxins." These
are chemicals in everyday household products that, he says, are
poisoning our brains, making us, among other things, moody, depressed,
irritable, restless, jumpy, flighty, sleepless, hostile, neurotic and
stupid.
The crowd in a newspaper office is probably not the best sample, but
based on my own observations, neurosis is plainly on the upswing. As
for stupidity, that's something that especially concerns me. Scanning
the headlines, I'm daily confirmed in my opinion that human beings -
what with their incessant strutting and rutting, bickering and warring,
fearing and hating - can ill afford any further loss of intelligence.
On a more personal level, I was curious about why, after a long and
glorious day playing with my jeeps in the garage, sucking in gas fumes
and carbon monoxide and savoring the bouquet of WD- 40, Liquid Wrench,
and Gunk parts cleaner and degreaser, I routinely come into the house
with a throbbing headache and the keen urge to smash the TV set with a
sledgehammer, bench press the sofa, and tackle the Russian Princess -
not to mention being utterly unable later in the evening to pay
attention for more than 20 seconds to Il Postino or Howards End or
whatever other pretentious Ritz Five-type movie she's decided to subject
me to.
As a drug and alcohol counselor, Saul, 50, knows a thing or two about
how chemicals can mess with your brain. More and more, it's becoming
clear that the hunk of cabbage between our ears is a complex chemistry
set, and that how we think and feel about ourselves, others and life in
general may have less to do with Jung than with genes, less to do with
Freud than with food. In other words, it's more a matter of wiring and
what we eat, breathe and touch than of how we were raised or treated in
childhood.
"Many common products actually contain chemicals that can affect us
mentally," says Saul. "Research has shown that lead, mercury and
cadmium can cause violent behavior and lower intelligence in children.
But there are many other chemicals that have a profound impact on the
neurological system."
These chemicals - in products such as cleaners, paints, polishes,
solvents, insect killers, air fresheners, nail polish and perfume - can
impair the way the brain develops and operates, interfere with the
body's hormones, reduce fertility and the ability to reproduce, and
diminish concentration and the ability to stay on task, says Saul.
"We used to think if a kid was moody, aggressive or had a short
attention span, it was because he had a dysfunctional childhood or
inadequate parenting, and so you'd spend hours and hours in a
psychiatrist's office. In fact, the problem could be triggered by
environmental toxins."
Case in point: The child of one of his clients was hyperactive and
flighty, says Saul. The father was an exterminator who'd come home
covered with pesticide residue. At Saul's suggestion, he became more
careful about keeping his work clothes out of the house. Result: The
child's attention disorder improved, says Saul.
Children are especially sensitive to what Saul calls "this chemical
bombardment." Their bodies and immune systems are not fully developed,
they absorb a greater proportion of many substances, they engage in more
hand-to-mouth activity, and they take in more food, air and water
relative to body weight.
For all of us, the noxious effect of neurotoxins is amplified by living
or working in a poorly ventilated house or "sick" office building, where
stale, dirty, poisonous air is recirculated through filthy ducts. "We
live in a spray society," says Saul. "It's like Love Canal in some
offices. They come in and spray pesticides every three weeks. We're
not killing cockroaches - they're going to survive - we're killing
ourselves."
When we're not killing ourselves, we're getting high - off the fumes
from ink markers, highlighter, white-out and copy-machine toner. "We've
inadvertently become a nation of huffers," says Saul. "People go to
beauty parlors and nail salons to experience the lift from the
solvents. Painters will work weekends because of they crave the
intoxication of the chemicals...Woodworkers and furniture makers are
hooked on fumes from glue. Many of us have become addicted, and we
don't even know it."
But the body knows, and eventually reacts, succumbing to physical and
mental illness. "We're bombarded on a daily basis by so much chemical
junk," says Saul, "that it's amazing more ordinary people don't go over
the edge."
Carey, A., Philadelphia Inquirer. 11/96