State Calls Off Moth Spraying in Urban Areas

Officials from the California Department of Food and Agriculture announced last Thursday that due to health concerns and public opposition, the controversial aerial spraying aimed at eradicating the light brown apple moth will no longer be executed in urban areas this summer.

California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura announced Friday that officials will now attempt to control the pest with a method called sterile insect technique, which involves releasing sterilized moths into the infested areas. This method is expected to confuse the moths in much the same way as the aerial spray by preventing them from reproducing so that they eventually die off.

The aerial spray, which mimics the moth's natural hormones, may continue as planned in agricultural areas in order to eliminate the moth, which agricultural officials say poses a threat to over 2,000 plant species.

Sprayings of the hormone in Santa Cruz and Monterey last year were followed by numerous health complaints, which opponents of the spray say is evidence that it is a danger to the public.

But California Department of Food and Agriculture spokesperson Steve Lyle said that the spray has undergone extensive testing and there has been no conclusive link found between health problems and the spraying of the pesticide.

The spray contains the female moth's pheromones, or sex hormones, and is designed to confuse male moths so that they are unable to locate female moths and reproduce.

Kawamura said in a statement that previous use of the sterile insect technique has been successful in California. Scientists are anticipating the first releases of the sterile moth in 2009 and to have a full-scale program by 2011, the statement said. The moths could be released at a rate of 20 million moths a day at the height of the program.

In addition to the sterilized insect treatment, a ground treatment and applications on telephone poles containing the pheromone will also be used to combat the moths. Scientists are currently testing carrier agents for the pheromones to determine which will be most successful.

Though many Northern California residents celebrated the news, some remain skeptical. Leuren Moret, a Berkeley resident and independent scientist, said she believes the eradication of the apple moth is not only unnecessary, but actually part of a plan to depopulate the Bay Area.

"The main goal of this pheromone spray is to kill off the weak; it's called depopulation," Moret said. "It is a very serious situation. It is a genocide against the people in the Bay Area."

Moret said that despite the government's revisions to the moth control plan, she does not have confidence that the option to use the spray will be completely dismissed.

"Though they say this spray has halted, it is not certain until all contracts have been eliminated," she said.

Tags: LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH