Man's orchards are sprayed with btk pesticide (poison?).

[roody]

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/04/02/18585511.php

Saturday morning, employees of the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office stormed onto my property uninvited, with their trucks and equipment, and with California Highway Patrol officers in tow.
Letter to the Editor Ventura County Star

I’m one of the property owners whose home is in the approximately 267-acre quarantine zone at risk of infestation by the gypsy moth.



They presented an inspection/abatement warrant and promptly declared that they would begin immediately applying the pesticide Btk on my trees with or without my consent.

Despite a campaign to convince me of the safety of the Btk pesticide, I decided it was in the best interests of my family, animals and me to avoid having Btk sprayed in my yard. I am not alone in having made this choice. Twice, I called and politely denied permission to spray in my yard. I thought the matter was settled.

It came as a great surprise then that they acquired a warrant and showed up at my house without forewarning. I had no recourse nor any time to prepare. It was humiliating to have people I didn’t know entering my property and spraying my trees without my permission. With the CHP present, it felt like a law-enforcement operation.

The CDFA and county Agricultural Commissioner’s Office should be ashamed of themselves for their arrogant dismissal of property owners’ wishes, and also for the deceptive manner in which they acquired a warrant and came onto our properties without warning. There was not so much as a phone call, letter or notice. There was no attempt on their part to be respectful or diplomatic.

Ironically, they slipped an “Advanced Notification of Foliar Treatment” under my doormat before they left — after applying the treatment.

If they had intended to spray one way or the other, then why did they give us the impression we had a choice in the matter? Why hold any community meetings to discuss it?

I understand the need to protect our trees and agricultural resources from pests such as the gypsy moth.

However, the issue for me is bigger than the gypsy moth or the toxicity of Btk. It is the issue of individual liberty and property owners’ rights. I hope that the CDFA and county Agricultural Commissioner’s Office will be held to account.

Derek Rodrigues

[XemaSab]

1. Btk is a bacterium that only affects insects.

Not a chemical.

[roody]

2. Is it poison?

[XemaSab]

3. No

n/t

[WhiteTara]

4. wiki is your friend

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

[Xithras]

5. A little late, but btk is commonly used as an organic pesticide. It's safe.

It's a naturally ocurring bacteria that is probably already present in the soil under those trees anyway. It's commonly used as a pesticide on crops that want to preserve their organic certification while reducing insect damage. Because the only human modification to btk is an altering of its concentration, it's still regarded as a natural form of pest control.

As for property rights...if the property was a haven for the moths, then it qualified as a public nuisance. It's no different than someone letting their pool go green and letting mosquitos take over (a big issue in West Nile areas). If your property becomes a hub of insect activity that is adversely affecting your neighbors, then there are grounds for the government to enforce an abatement order. Just as an FYI, there are ALSO grounds for your neighbors to sue for actual losses should the moths seeking haven on your property leave and cause damage to neighboring crops. If your neighbors spray, and you don't, and the insects on your property cause damage to your neighbors property, most courts will find you liable for their damage.

[kestrel91316]

6. Btk isn't any sort of toxin to humans. It is a bacterium that produces

a toxin that is harmful to certain caterpillars. It is considered acceptable for organic growers to use.

Far preferable to the INSECTICIDAL CHEMICALS that have been sprayed all over Kingdom Come for the past 75 years.

[LeftyMom]

7. My kid took a swig of that stuff as a toddler. Called poison control all freaked out.

They explained that the only adverse reaction ever reported with it was something involving sores in cows...

Anyhow, nothing happened. It's not dangerous if you're not a moth.