OK. So now I've got a beautiful little patch of native Tall Bellflower just teeming with life. A variety of little bee species are constantly buzzing in and out of the flowers. I've found a dozen or so different insects on the leaves. This is adding up to quite a feast for some birds, toads, and other creatures. In a little while, the flowers will turn to seed for a larger crop of flowers next year. This is doing exactly what we want it to do. As I stand looking at this little mass of biodiversity, I begin to worry. What happens when the city truck comes rumbling down the street, spraying for mosquitoes? Does all this life get zapped too? I don't know but fear the answer isn't what I want to hear. Is the mosquito spray effective? I don't know, but I've been told that in a few short days after the spraying, the mosquitoes are back. How fast will the other insects we've been nurturing return? How much money do we spend on attempting to control the mosquito population? Is it worth it? Again, I don't know. Here are a few articles I found while trying to understand this better.
Mosquito repellants: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in419
After reading these, I'm inclined to go more with individually applied mosquito repellant rather than wholesale spraying for mosquitoes. And please, please city administrators, don't kill my little contribution to a healthy ecology.
What do you think? If you don't want to post comments here, feel free to email me: NativePlantNeophyte@gmail.com.
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