Reducing Risk to Pollinators: Pesticide Use on Wetlands

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Pesticide Use on Wetlands

Concern over West Nile virus spread by mosquitoes has lead to an increase in insecticide use for their suppression. In the interest of public health, which ultimately includes pollinator health too, the following web sites provide useful information for minimizing risks to humans, pollinators, and other nontarget species.

A) Mosquito Suppression:

Larvicides for Mosquito Control, USEPA:

http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/mosquitoes/larvicides4mosquitoes.htm

Reviews mosquito life cycle and describes several larvicides used in controlling mosquito populations, addressing for each the risks to human health, wildlife, and the environment.

Meeting the Challenge of West Nile Virus Without Poisons , Journal of Pesticide Reform:

http://www.pesticide.org/westnilevirus.pdf

Well-written article on West Nile Virus, mosquito biology, abatement programs, and guidelines for pesticides. Provides good table of pesticides used in mosquito control, including human health hazards and risks to wildlife, fish, and invertebrates, including some pollinators.

Mosquito Information, American Mosquito Control Association:

http://www.mosquito.org/mosquito-information/index.aspx

Comprehensive information about mosquito life history, Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM), guidelines for using repellents, and mosquito-borne diseases.

Information for Protecting Honey Bees During Mosquito Spray Programs, North Carolina State University:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Bees/mosquito/mosquito.html Links at this site provide good guidelines for minimizing risks to honey bees.

This information was assembled by NAPPC’s EPA PESP Task Force in 2004-2005.

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