McAllister Objects To Suffolk County's Continued Use Of Methoprene To Kill Mosquitoes

Suffolk County legislators have approved the continued use of a pesticide that restricts the growth of mosquitoes in the larval stage, as part of the county’s 2019 Vector Control plan.Kevin McAllister, the founding president of DefendH2O, has been fighting against the county’s use of the larvicide because it targets arthropods, which also include shellfish, and could impact populations of crabs, lobsters and shrimp.Methoprene is applied by helicopters in marshlands, which are considered breeding grounds of mosquitoes.On December 4, Mr. McAllister asked Suffolk County legislators to follow in the footsteps of Connecticut, where the larvicide has been banned in coastal areas since 2013. Other states, like Rhode Island, have restricted the use of methoprene, and the State of New York has a bill in front of the Assembly and the Senate to restrict its use as well.“Suffolk County led the nation in 1967 with a volunteer suspension of DDT,” Mr. McAllister told legislators. “I call on you again … the science is clear—the need is not there with respect to an alternative.”As an alternative, the county uses bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis solids, or BTIs, mixed with methoprene.County Legislator Bridget Fleming said last month that the county has reduced the use of methoprene in areas like Accabonac Harbor. She said the larvicide has been reduced by 50 percent, and the model being used can be applied to marshes that are blocked off from predators and where mosquitoes thrive.Mr. McAllister told legislators the areas where methoprene is being used, like Accabonac Harbor, are full of aquatic life. Despite a reduction in its use, Mr. McAllister said the county saw a 33 percent increase in methoprene use between 2017 and 2018, and the area the chemical is sprayed increased from 15,000 acres to 20,000 acres.“This is really being driven by nuisance control,” Mr. McAllister said. “I’ve long held, the marsh mosquito is not the carrier of West Nile virus.”Mr. McAllister said he plans to address the legislature about its recent decision on Tuesday, December 18.