Anti-Sevin
From: Kenny K, Baton Rouge, LA
Date: 12/17/99
Time: 9:49:43 AM
Comments
ANTI-SEVIN - INTRODUCTION
It is an awesome responsibility to lure a wild creature into our midst and try to provide for it. While I've heard otherwise, knowledgeable people have told me that martineering is "no big deal, all you have to do is put up a house", I know that there's a lot more to it. While we may claim to know when "our" birds are happy or sad and apply other "human" characteristics, they are complicated creatures that have very different sets of problems and solutions. Problems such as temperature, predators, nesting competitors and, the most insidious, parasites serve to make their lives miserable. We can do much for them. We can design or modify housing to make them cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. We can build guards against predators and traps for competitors. We can also protect them against parasites; in fact, we can do too much for them in this area.
It's bad enough that 90% of birdhouse owners do nothing management-wise to help their birds. They are lucky if they are producing enough martins to prevent population decline. It behooves the remaining 10% of us to work efficiently and intelligently to produce absolutely all of the birds possible within the constraints of our individual designs and capabilities. Controlling parasites mechanically (nest replacement) and naturally (judicious use of DE) is all I've ever had to do. Granted, different areas deal with different pests, but the landlord should start without chemicals. Indeed, with reasonable checks and practices of nest replacement, chemicals may never be necessary.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EPA
The federal law that governs pesticides is called FIFRA -- the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act -- passed in 1947 to regulate "economic poisons". The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administered FIFRA from 1947 to 1972. While the USDA handled the pesticide industry, no testing was required. In 1962, Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring, exposed the irresponsibility of the USDA and documented the destruction that pesticides were causing. In 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created. In 1972, FIFRA was amended to require testing before pesticides could be registered and marketed. Pesticides already registered by the lax USDA were to re-register by 1975. The pesticide industry has managed to extend that deadline to beyond the year 2000! The EPA has also allowed pesticides to be sold with "conditional registration." 1
It is obvious to me that the chemical industry has control over the politics of protecting our environment. Just because a chemical is sold does not mean that it is safe -- this goes for humans as well as purple martins.
THE EPA's LABELING SYSTEM
The EPA's success is based entirely on its labeling laws. Companies spend millions of dollars and several years testing products 142 different ways according to EPA guidelines.2 When EPA approval is given to market a product, strict directions for usage, determined from those tests, are stated on the label. Everything an end user needs to use a registered pesticide properly and safely is on that label. That label is a legal document that we are obligated by law to follow. The first thing you read under DIRECTIONS FOR USE is this statement: "It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. READ ENTIRE LABEL. USE IN ACCORDANCE WITH LABEL PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS AND DIRECTIONS." Strong words. Just what does that mean? It means that it is illegal to deviate from the label to any degree in using the product. Only specific uses listed on the label are allowed. Penalties include Civil ($500 for first offense, $1000 for subsequent offenses) and Criminal (misdemeanor, fined $1000 and/or imprisoned for 30 days).3
The majority of us are law-abiding citizens who place faith and trust in our governments to make intelligent decisions regarding our lives. I estimate that 20% of us lack that faith and trust to some degree. In these cases, it is important that we intelligently understand what's at stake when we circumvent the law and apply these chemicals as we see fit.
WHAT IS SEVIN
Carbaryl (Sevin) is said by the EPA to be "one of the most widely applied insecticides in the US," since use began in 1959, with 10-15 million pounds used annually. There are two reasons for its popularity: low oral and dermal toxicity for mammals and its broad spectrum of insect control. Carbaryl breaks down readily into less toxic byproducts. It has low toxicity to birds and no precautionary language for birds or fish is required by the EPA. It has extremely high toxicity to honeybees, aquatic invertebrates and certain estuarine organisms. It is moderately toxic to fish. The EPA has approved carbaryl for use against insects on several fruit and vegetable crops, plants and trees. It is also approved for use on poultry and pets and indoor use.4
It is evident that carbaryl is a relatively safe pesticide. That is, it is safe for humans. The fact of the matter is that sufficient testing has not been done in order for the EPA to approve it for use with birds other than poultry. Purple Martins are not poultry. Poultry are defined as domesticated birds.
PESTICIDES AND WILDLIFE
Environmental contamination by pesticides gained attention in 1962 with Rachel Carson's book, Silent Spring. Finally, after public outcry, pesticides like DDT began to be banned. Besides being very strong, more dangerous is their persistence - staying chemically active for long periods of time. An amazing fact is that the United States produces more DDT today than it ever has. It is exported to countries like those in Latin America where migratory birds winter. Actually, we consume the imported produce that these banned pesticides are used to produce! Overall, the world produces over 5 billion pounds of pesticides annually. Where does it all go? In short -- nowhere.
It is estimated that 67 million birds are directly killed from pesticide poisoning every year. This is a very conservative estimate as most deaths go undetected. Diazinon was the first insecticide specifically restricted because of thousands of bird deaths. It was used to kill insects on lawns and golf courses. Millions of pounds are still used in the United States every year. About 40 active ingredients in pesticides have been found to be lethal to birds. About 25% have been banned (only in the U.S.). Most birds are exposed by ingestion, such as mistaking a pesticide granule for a seed or by consuming contaminated prey. Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin or breathed when flying through aerial applications. Sub-lethal effects include: eggshell thinning, deformed embryos, slower growth rates, decreased parental attentiveness, reduced territorial defense, lack of appetite and weight loss, lethargic behavior, suppressed immune system response, greater vulnerability to predation, interference with body temperature regulation, disruption of normal hormonal functioning, and inability to orient in the proper direction for migration. Each of these sub-lethal effects can ultimately reduce populations as effectively as immediate death. Pesticides can also affect birds indirectly by either reducing the amount of available food or altering habitat.
Purple Martins and other Neotropical migratory birds are potentially exposed to more pesticides than resident birds. While we have, at least started to clean up our environment, Latin American countries have not. Pesticide contamination is often cited as one of the factors in declining numbers of migratory birds but there is little evidence to support this claim. It is difficult to determine the role of pesticides in causing death or reproductive failure. It has been shown that acephate, an organophosphate, can interfere with an adult bird's ability to orient itself in the proper direction for migration. Who knows how many vagrants are sighted for this reason? When fat reserves are used up, like during migration, pesticides are liberated within the body to cause death. No one knows how many die during this time. We accept the fact that only half of young birds survive to return each year. Who can say what part pesticide poisoning plays in this fact?5
Until priorities can afford to be shifted from protecting (but still being able to feed) humans to protecting all animals, we must educate ourselves to the possible dangers of pesticides and practicing alternative pest control methods. Buy organically grown products and support organizations that work to reduce our dependence of pesticides.
CONCLUSION
I have had tremendous success using diatomaceous earth (DE) and practicing nest replacement. While locations and different weather produce different pests, I think it important to start with a natural, chemical-free method and gradually incorporate stronger methods that are supported by federal and local authorities and do not violate the law. Your county extension service are excellent starting places.
I apply DE once before nesting begins and again after egg laying. I replace
nests with cedar chips after the hatchlings are 10-15 days old. I have seen
very few mites in any other the houses I treat. Of two houses that I monitored
but did not replace nests, one had a mite infestation.
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1. Designer Poisons by Marion Moses, M.D. 2. Pesticides and Wildlife by Arlene Blessing http://www.agcom.purdue.edu/AgCom/Pubs/PPP/PPP-30.html 3. Us Code: Title 7, Section 1361 http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/7/1361.text.html 4. Instant EPA's Pesticide Facts, Copyright 1996 by Instant Reference Sources, Inc. and Digital Liasons 5. When it Comes to Pesticides, Birds are Sitting Ducks by Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center http://web2.si.edu/smbc/fxshts/fxsht8.htm
