



In August, Jim spent a week at his house. Like the rest of us, he was bitten

. But most of the rest of us do not have a

immune system. Or maybe just lousy luck.





His last memory of that summer was returning to New York and not feeling well. His next memory was somehow waking from a medically induced coma 10 days later. Fortunately, his son was at home the next morning when Jim suffered a grand mal seizure, or he would have died. Jim had contracted West Nile encephalitis during his vacation week. From a mosquito bite.





Jim is one tough SOB. After months of physical therapy he was OK. But, when I found out, I was not. I was furious—mostly at the village's environmental

, which had been steadfastly opposing spraying for as long as anyone could remember. Since the village administration

follows the

recommendation on these matters, while communities a few minutes away were being regularly sprayed by Suffolk County vector control, Ocean Beach was not. Their reasoning? "It's poison!" and "it will kill the spiders that eat the

."





Not to belabor the obvious, but if the f####ing spiders were doing such a fine job of eating the mosquitoes, then we wouldn't be having this discussion, would we?





In the communities that were being sprayed, life was just fine. Birds were not dropping out of the sky. People were not growing arms out of their backs. No one was harmed. Why? Because the insecticide that Suffolk County uses is called Anvil, and if there is a safer "poison" out there, good luck finding it.

The following spring,

in front of a village meeting

I managed to control my tongue and temper as I explained the folly of our policy. Without explicitly calling the environmental committee idiots, I pointed out a few facts. For example, Anvil is actually less toxic than DEET, which you practically needed to power wash yourself with just to go outside after dusk. (In all fairness to them, this policy was instituted long before any of them were on the committee, but they continued to support it until I made a stink.)





Steps you should take: Children and pregnant women should take care to avoid exposure when practical. If possible, remain inside or avoid the area whenever spraying takes place and for about 30 minutes after spraying. Close windows and doors and close the vents of window air-conditioning units to circulate indoor air or, before spraying begins, turn them off. Windows and air-conditioning vents can be reopened about 30 minutes after spraying. If you come in direct contact with pesticide spray, protect your eyes. If you get pesticide spray in your eyes, immediately rinse them with water. Wash exposed skin. Wash clothes that come in direct contact with spray separately from other laundry. Consult your health care provider if you think you are experiencing health effects from spraying.

Steps you may want to take: The materials used by Vector Control do not leave significant residues on surfaces, but exposure can be reduced even further. Pick homegrown fruits and vegetables you expect to eat soon before spraying takes place. Rinse homegrown fruits and vegetables (in fact all produce) thoroughly with water before cooking or eating. Bring laundry and small toys inside before spraying begins. (Wash with detergent and water if exposed to pesticides during spraying.) Bring pet food and water dishes inside, and cover ornamental fishponds during the spray period to avoid direct exposure.

DEFCON 1 warning.





Here's what I found. And if the irony of all of this happens to escapes you, drop me a line and I'll explain it.





identical

beach

Suspected of causing cancer.

May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure if inhaled.

Obtain special instructions before use.

Do not handle until all safety precautions have been read and understood.

Do not breathe dust/ fume/ gas/ mist/ vapors/ spray.

Use personal protective equipment as required.

If exposed or concerned: Get medical advice/ attention.

Store locked up.

Dispose of contents/ container to an approved waste disposal plant.

If you believe that some environmental groups will put bugs ahead of human health, you are not crazy.

There are consequences when this happens. Just ask Jim.

Unless you are a chemist, it is virtually impossible to determine which scares are real and which are not.

You better believe that environmental groups and government agencies gleefully take advantage of this confusion. It's called funding and job security.

Update: Summer 2014.

Second (and very sad) update: November 2014.