Aerial spraying became a controversial topic in the Fargo-Moorhead area last August when a large number of migrating monarch butterflies died after a night of aerial spraying in what came to be known locally as the "Monarch Massacre."
The issue reignited when Moorhead's City Council last month voted to temporarily opt out of aerial spraying and directed Public Works Director Steve Iverson to investigate the matter further. The council is expected to discuss the issue again on May 10.
Unlike Moorhead, Fargo agreed to keep the spraying option in its contract in a vote Monday night, but commissioners offered suggestions for improving the decision-making process for spraying.
City leaders floated the idea of adding members to the vector control board, whose members are appointed by the Cass County Commission. Current members are Fargo Mayor Tim Mahoney, entomologist and North Dakota State University professor Joe Rinehart and Dr. Matthew Eaton, a dentist.
Other ideas included hiring a consultant to examine concerns about spraying and checking on the levels of mosquito-borne West Nile virus cases before any aerial spraying takes place.
Fargo Public Works Director Ben Dow, whose department works with vector control and manages the city's portion of funding for the agency, told city commissioners they could decide to end spraying if they desired, but he suggested that it be kept as a tool in case West Nile becomes a serious problem in the area.
Cass County Vector Control Director Ben Prather said his agency follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for determining when to spray to contain West Nile virus and carefully examines case numbers. However, most spraying is done in mosquito outbreaks for "nuisance control," he said.
Prather said West Nile virus has been a concern in the Fargo-Moorhead area fewer than 10 times in his 12 years working with vector control.
The city is working on plans to survey residents to gauge public opinion on the aerial spraying, Dow said.
There are about 147 parcels out of possibly 50,000 acres where residents have requested no truck-based spraying, Prather said.
"It's a small pool, barely a drop in the bucket," said Prather, explaining that he has received a handful of requests from residents who want their property on the map of areas where ground spraying is prohibited after the issue came up at this week's Fargo City Commission meeting.
"No spray zones" have a downside as they can affect mosquito control effectiveness where spraying was done nearby, Dow further explained.
As for stopping aerial spraying in a certain area, Prather said it's simply too difficult to shut off the spray with planes traveling at such a high speed.
Dow said Mayor Mahoney and himself usually make the final decision on whether to go ahead with aerial spraying in the city.
Mahoney said the city plans to be "more thoughtful" and seek more opinions on any future spraying, which is also done in response to the mosquito "nuisance factor" and typically results in an 80% reduction in the mosquito population.
Dow said vector control needs to make sure spraying isn't done when monarch butterflies pass through the area during their migration.
The permethrin pesticide used by vector control is the same used in the agricultural industry, especially to control insects on fruit, where a heavier level is used, Dow said.
The pesticide is considered safe, Dow and Prather said. Prather added that permethrin has been registered with the Environmental Protection Agency since 1977 and is "simply an essential part of modern living." According to the EPA, low level, short-term permethrin exposure poses no harm to human health.
Cass County Vector Control follows federal guidelines on the levels of permethrin it uses for mosquito spraying — 0.007 pounds per acre, according to Prather. In fruit spraying, levels can reach 0.2 to 0.4 pounds per acre, he said.
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May 07, 2021 at 06:00PM
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Fargo signs mosquito control contract, seeks more input on spraying - INFORUM
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