YOUR COMMENTS

Lyme disease was limited historically by the American passenger pigeon, which effectively held down rodent populations by eating the acorns the rodents use to explode populations. The eradication of the pigeon allowed the rodents, vectors of Lyme disease, to spread, and to spread the disease.

DDT played no role at all in holding down Lyme disease, ever.

Ticks were common then, but rarely in contact with humans -- the reduction in wolf populations and other predators of deer allowed deer to spread to suburbs, and the ticks that carry Lyme disease with them.

Ticks are notoriously resistant to DDT, by the way. But DDT didn't play a significant role in holding tick populations down.

EEE didn't enter the U.S. until the 1970s. DDT didn't play a role in limiting EEE, ever.

The mosquitoes that carry West Nile are somewhat DDT resistant, and the best place to hit them is in the water as larva. DDT is particularly ill-adapted for such use. DDT never played a role in limiting West Nile.

DDT is an old solution, found to be dangerous. New problems don't justify the return of an old, dangerous chemical, which is not suited to control the new problems.
- Ed Darrell, Dallas, Texas

In a few weeks the mosquito's will be done for the year so I don't understand why the sudden push for spraying and spending money on what nature is about to do for us.

As Brian in Farmington says we can thank radicals for any issues we face with such transmitted diseases. We are free to listen too and elect more rational people into office. Maybe even people who know how to budget so we can actually spray before people and animals start dying. But then that might rid us f a good scare tactic for the politicians to manage.

Caring for the environment is a good thing, but so is caring about people and society.
- Deb, Derry

Maybe the domestic terrorist group called PETA will get involved now and fight for the rights of emus everywhere against EEE and petition the Environmental "Protection" Agency to allow us to spray. Although who would represent the mosquito and for that matter, the friendly but misunderstood deer tick? We can't discriminate against them just based on the fact that their race believes in blood sucking. It's not THEIR fault that evil humans are just as tasty as emus. It must be our fault. How many more, Mr Speakah!

Environmental Protection Agency - a true contradiction in terms. Enviro-wackoism would be entertaining comedy if it didn't have such a detrimental effect on our lives, health, economy, freedom, and yes - environment. Watch a blank stare of an environut next time you explain to them that EEE has killed thousands more birds than DDT ever would have.
- Mike, Temple

I suppose we'll wait until a few people die from this and then we'll resume spraying for mosquitoes. Forty years ago you never heard of Lyme disease, ticks, EEE or West Nile Virus. Then the eco freaks came along, we stopped spraying, saved a tadpole or two and as a result endangered thousands of human lives.
- Brian, Farmington