Spraying for Oak processionary moth

[Marko]

Helicopter spraying for oak processionary moth about to begin

 

Pest caterpillars face helicopter blitz with insecticide | Environment | The Guardian

[David Humphries]

Helicopter spraying for oak processionary moth about to begin

 

Pest caterpillars face helicopter blitz with insecticide | Environment | The Guardian

 

'If' this gets the go ahead, it will be a very slippery road imo.

 

The ecology of lepidoptera (The group that is at a very real threat here) and all that surrounds it, is a fragile ecosystem.

 

Like to see what the FC's impact assessment is

 

 

 

 

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[sloth]

Hmmm... Large scale spraying of anything is bad news imo

[NI Tree]

i think it a good idea as if they can ereidacate when is still relitive local area the impact will be high but lower it they were having to spray far more trees at a later date over a wide area and if it works it should be a coule years at the most unlike if you were having to do speffic trees yearly

 

when they only found 3 last year it a good idea to be double sure you got no resivors in the loacl area

[Gary Prentice]

I can't see the necessity for this. If there were several dozen nests found in. 2011 and only three in 2912, surely the existing containment measures are working.

[Peasgood]

Hmmm... Large scale spraying of anything is bad news imo

25 acres isn't large scale though is it. Most rape fields you see will be bigger than that and will be sprayed with stuff far worse than B.thuringiensis.

I agree it is drastic measures but it sounds very much like it is for the greater good.

The arguments against it sound to be emotive rather than scientific.

[sloth]

25 acres isn't very large scale, I didn't see that tbh, only very quickly scanned through the article...

[Peasgood]

Bacillus thuringiensis is a harmless thing to be using anyway. Well, I guess if you are a caterpillar you wouldn't agree but environmentally speaking it's as good as it gets.

I do think someone is trying to dramatise things. To me it sounds a very sensible way to control what could well become a serious problem, hopefully before it is too late for a change.

[Craig Johnson]

it would have been more effective five years ago, but then FR were more interested in trapping than control and the cat got out of the bag, so to speak.

much more should be done on the control of OPM, unless we want to see our parks and POS closed buy the H&S nannies

[David Humphries]

I agree it is drastic measures but it sounds very much like it is for the greater good.

The arguments against it sound to be emotive rather than scientific.

 

Bacillus thuringiensis is a harmless thing to be using anyway. Well, I guess if you are a caterpillar you wouldn't agree but environmentally speaking it's as good as it gets.

I do think someone is trying to dramatise things. .

 

Bacillus (Dipel) is a rung down on the nasty ladder (compared to Deltamethrin -Bandu)

 

As such control appears to be only effective between "60 & 80%" of the time (Arb Association quote).

 

So, is helicopter spraying with Bacillus even worth the money/time?

 

 

 

 

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