I am willing to take opinions without facts, but I am just wondering what you guys think is a safe wait period before going into a state park that was recently sprayed with pesticides. On Monday night, the helicopters came around and sprayed pesticides into a park near where I live. This park has the trails where I ride my horse, I was wondering now that it is Wednesday. Do you think it is safe to go in yet? I been trying to google some information and I really can't find anything useful to my purpose. Anyone know anything about spraying and environments/safety? I tried calling the parks department, but no one knows anything.
Our grasses get sprayed with DDT to stop the mosquitos. Give it about a week, just to be on the safe side.
I worked in the pesticide industry for four years. RIDMagnus, use of DDT has been banned here in the US for many years and there is absolutely no way anyone is using it in state parks. While that would require about a week's wait, it's safe to say that was not what was used. ILD, the most likely reason to spray a park is fly and mosquito control, which does not require what is called a "residual insecticide", meaning the insecticide is an aerosol and is only dangerous to mammals while airborne. The chemical disperses and kills flying insects which will not eliminate the insect population but is meant rather as a control measure. So the answer is, in essence, if you can't smell it, you're safe. It isn't residual because that would violate the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
The use of DDT has been discontinued in Canada for the same reasons as in the US. If they sprayed something it would likely be non-residual or harmless to humans, or they would be required to leave signs that the publically accessible area was hazardous to enter.
Thanks! That explanation actually makes sense, I kept looking up things about the sprayings for West Nile, because that's what I was sure they were doing. And the state parks website site had the 2 different kinds they were using but nothing about when it was safe to re-enter the parks. Only precautions to take while spraying was happening.
Maybe it's just me, but worrying about something like that sounds absolutely paranoid. Just go for a walk already.
I doubt it. Waiting for DAYS? A couple hours maybe, but DAYS? This isn't a war zone filled with agent orange we're talking about, it's a public park. Then again, I have a good handle on what they spray and how it works, so I don't much worry about it.
Air "fresheners" make me cough. Antiperspirants make me cough. Perfume and cologne make me cough and spit. You can't say I'm paranoid.
No, it sounds like you're allergic to anything and everything. You should probably get that checked out. Most people don't die from smelling an air freshener (not that what they used is anything like that).
I would take it that she is more concerned about her horse. I would imagine you should be safe. Wouldn't there be notices posted somewhere if it was otherwise?
Which has nothing to do with it being safe or not to go for a walk in the park days after they spray for bugs.
Explain it then. Explain why someone (with no mentioned allergies or crazy sensitivity to cough drops) should be worried about walking in a park they sprayed days ago.
