DDT spray scares mosquitoes away, study finds

Reuters ^ | August 8, 2007

[period end of story]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mosquitoes that carry malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever avoid homes that have been sprayed with DDT, researchers reported on Wednesday.

The chemical not only repels the disease-carrying insects physically, but its irritant and toxic properties helps keep them away, the researchers reported in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE.

They estimate that DDT spray reduced the risk of disease transmission by nearly three-quarters.

Malaria affects more 40 percent of the world's population, killing more than a million people every year, most of them young children.

DDT use has been discontinued in most countries because of fears the pesticide may cause cancer and because of its potential effects on animals such as birds.

But the World Health Organization last year recommended the use of DDT in places like Africa where malaria is still common, saying the benefits outweighed the risks.

In the study, Dr. Donald Roberts of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland and colleagues tested DDT against Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Thailand.

This species of mosquito does not carry malaria but it can transmit dengue and yellow fever.

[Trailerpark Badass]

What a breakthrough! Isn’t modern science wonderful?

[sr4402]

Interesting that Reuters did not have environmentalism trump over human health this time. DDT has been the bugaboo for environmentalism for years, what changed?

[Hang'emAll]

Garlic Oil mixed with water from a garden sprayer kills and scares mosquitoes too.

It’s also probably easier on the kids and dogs.

http://www.mosquitobarrier.com/

[Bean Counter]

It;s absolutely true!! We haven’t seen a mosquito here since Grampa died, and I inherited that drum of DDT he kept hoarded away in his shop for years...

[kinoxi]

The bird populations (specifically eagles and raptors) it was said to have affected have come back in this country. It has also been out of widespread use for so long that DDT resistant strains of mosquitoes don’t exist where it is needed most. They’ll probably end up using it in a rotating schedule with other pesticides.

[Badeye]

I started using Malthion (spelling) this spring. Works great, and once it dries no effects on dogs or cats.

Best spring and summer - bug wise - we’ve experienced to date at our home.

[coloradan]

DDT was said to reduce the raptor population, but it didn’t, so the story was changed that it reduced the egg count, but it didn’t, so the story was changed that the shells were thinned. That story too has since been retracted, but the institutional memory of DDT doing “something bad to birds” has remained for decades, at the cost of many many millions of lives. People should be tried for genocide and crimes against humanity for the knee-jerk ban in the face of changing rationales and no evidence, but they won’t be.

[Adder]

“Mosquitoes that carry malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever avoid homes that have been sprayed with DDT, researchers reported on Wednesday.”

Thats a real gns [gee no sh*t] moment. Ranks right up there with “the sun rises in the east...again!”
Ain’t science wunnerful.

[ElectricStrawberry]

DDT use has been discontinued in most countries because of fears the pesticide may cause cancer and because of its potential effects on animals such as birds.

BS. DDT was "banned" by the world community by witholding humanitarian aid $$$$ to 3rd world countries if the countries used DDT.

[HoosierHawk]

And Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.

[econjack]

To combat DDT’s discontinuance, I started drinking gin and tonics decades ago and have not had malaria once.

[tarheelswamprat]

Well said.

[kinoxi]

I haven't read anything close to definitive saying it didn’t harm the birds higher up the foodchain. It’s half-life (including DDD and DDE) is measured in years so it makes perfect sense that the concentration would occur. Birds are notoriously susceptible to certain things as well (canary in a coal mine). If you’ve got a link I would like to read it.

[Delacon]

Here is a good even handed article.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/34742.html

[coloradan]

http://www.aim.org/aim_report/450_0_4_0_C/

[xjcsa]

Mosquitoes that carry malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever avoid homes that have been sprayed with DDT, researchers reported on Wednesday.

Mosquitos that carry no diseases were unaffected?

[P-40]

DDT has been the bugaboo for environmentalism for years, what changed?

I guess the environmentalists have been too busy with global warming and all the malaria it is supposed to be spreading.

DDT is just like any other pesticide. Use it properly, and there won't be any problems. Now how many people will use it, or fertilizer for that matter, properly is a whole different matter.

[kinoxi]

Thanks for the link. That’s about what I had assumed the effect was. I don’t think the stuff should be banned, it’s too effective. It just seems that a rotating regimen with other pesticides would eliminate most reasonable objection to it’s use. Giving the metabolites enough time to degrade and reducing the instances of resistant strains.

[kinoxi]

Thanks for the link. It’s going to be used in a widespread fashion again regardless. It will save too many lives to ignore.