The fogging Dengue and Death of Bees

The fogging Dengue and Death of Bees

Apart from the cases of pesticide spray use in agriculture, there are bees death occurrences due to application of "fogging" in the fight against dengue, acute febrile disease caused by an infectious Flaviridae family of viruses that is transmitted by the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

One of the resources used to prevent the spread of the dengue mosquito larvae and exterminate adult mosquitoes is contaminated by chemical control, using the "fogging", which is a solution of the insecticide cypermethrin ( a pyrethroid element ) and mineral oil as an off-white dense smoke and, costal sprayed with pumps or large vehicles coupled pumps. Also malathion, highly toxic pesticide organophosphate do two group, They have been used interchangeably, practice that should be reviewed by our health authorities.

Although cypermethrin is biodegradable, yet it is dangerous because it has organoclorato, a derivative of chlorine which is in the environment. O “fogging” effectiveness has not been proven there needs to be an application by m2 dose control and constant adjustment of pumps. O “fogging” only kills adult mosquitoes by direct contact, when you are flying and runs through the dense smoke (so the product should not be applied with strong wind, to disperse the solution).

So the ideal is to eliminate the larvae breeding throughout the year. Due to the indiscriminate use of pesticides, the mosquito can not be the only victim of “fogging”. Many cases of contamination of people, domestic animals and, particularly, Bees. For the latter, the toxicity of cypermethrin and other pesticides, como o malathion, It is lethal, having several cases of bee breeders, particularly meliponicultors, with serious loss of swarms of native stingless bees by the effects of fogging.

By Prof. Dr. Lionel Segui Gonçalves, retired professor of USP-RP, and visiting professor at UFERSA-RN, in 06/04/15.