That's strange. I thought it was just in my area that they were that bad. I live in NW Ohio in a rural area inside of a small woods. Earlier this year I sprayed my usual double whammy of Malathion and Permetherin. We then got hit with a 60 drought and every skeeter in the area dried up and blew away. Then about a month ago, the rains came. And the bugs. Now the damn things are so bad we can't even go outside. If I pop open my door to let my dogs out, in come 6-10 skeeters. I WANT MY DDT!!!
Dale | 09.21.07 - 10:34 am | #

DDT is just an effective killer, period. It kills especially those critters that eat mosquitoes to keep us from being bitten by them.

One reason mosquitoes are bad in some places, like here in Dallas, is that mosquitoes are carrying diseases that kill the mosquito eaters, like West Nile virus that kills insect-eating songbirds.

Yes, mosquitoes are evolving. 40 years ago they evolved resistance to DDT.

DDT is not completely banned. It can be used in health emergencies. We haven't had any in the U.S.

U.S. law and international treaties specifically allow DDT use in appropriate places in Africa. The Bush administration wasn't spending ANY money on malaria eradication. Spending the money was urged by none other than the Environmental Defense Fund, the group that first sued to stop spraying in the U.S. No rational person opposes the wise and careful use of DDT in Africa.

But Bush didn't want to spend the money. Go figure.
Ed Darrell | Homepage | 09.21.07 - 7:48 pm | #

Oh, and most of the mosquitoes in the U.S. this year? DDT isn't the pesticide of choice.
Ed Darrell | Homepage | 09.21.07 - 7:50 pm | #