University of California
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LinkedInSterile light brown apple moths released in Carneros
USDA scientists released 3,000 sterile light brown apple moths yesterday in a Carneros vineyard, according to an article in the Sonoma Index-Tribune. The scientists hope that flooding the environment with sterile moths will prevent females from mating with normal moths and producing offspring.
Reporter Emily Charrier-Botts wrote that UC Davis entomologist James Carey does not expect the program to be successful. He said releasing sterile insects has eradicated only one pest in history - the screw-worm fly. (Screw-worm fly maggots, a livestock pest, feed on living mammal flesh after a female fly lays eggs on a superficial wound, according to CDFA.)The USDA scientist overseeing the light brown apple moth program, entomologist Gregg Simmons, said the pilot project will help officials determine whether sterile moths could be used to combat infestations across the state.
"The goal is to drive insects to manageable levels. As part of the integrated pest management strategy ... eradication may be achieved," Simmons was quoted.
Light brown apple moth larva.
Comments:
2.
LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH ERADICATION IS A FRAUD FOR MONEY.
Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) is NOT mating at this time of year. The moths are over wintering (Larvae, dormant stage) in these cold winter months. There is a possibility for some flyers to emerge when weather permits, but they are not mating.
Testing Sterile Moth Release (SIT) to "Stop Mating" at this time of year is simply to keep the money flowing to this false program. It is the same as testing mosquito repellent in the winter or testing a procedure to stop Hurricanes in Florida during the season when there are NO hurricanes.
There are two purposes for this program:
1. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) wants money, a lot of it, and they want a bigger budget.
2. Large corporate insider privileged chemical companies are going to get the bulk of the service and pesticide contracts for this program. Sterile Moth Release is the "Come-on" to get their foot in the door to the public after aerial spray was rejected. $100's of millions of pesticide contracts will be part of this program initially and even more so as SIT fails.
Already within the CDFA program plan is a Permethrin poison (called Splat) placed on thousands of telephone poles, trees and bushes per square mile in communities where people live. It will be placed directly into people's yards and throughout their communities. It will be a splat combination of synthetic pheromone to attract moths and Permethrin to kill them if they take the bait. Incredibly there is NO SCIENCE to demonstrate the efficacy (effectiveness) of this procedure. If they were doing it in a laboratory, whatever. But they are planning to implement this procedure state-wide prior to any published science on its effectiveness. There is absolutely NO SCIENCE upon which they are basing their plan.
ALERT: THE DRAFT PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (PEIR) recently released states that there is NO DAMAGE FROM LBAM IN CALIFORNIA.
Chapter #3, pages 3-20 & 3-21 state: NO DAMAGE FROM LBAM IN CALIFORNIA.
Download the PEIR right off the CDFA website.
LBAM was first noticed by Jerry Powell, retired UC Berkeley Micro-moth specialist in his back yard in July 2006. If the first moth arriving to California went immediately to Jerry's back yard, LBAM has been here four years. If entomologists and Invasive pest biologists are correct in their calculation of LBAM populations and spread capability, then LBAM has been in California for about 30-50 years. Either way, NO DAMAGE.
That is why CDFA was so anxious to start their program. CDFA wanted the credit for stopping the damage from LBAM, but now we know for sure that LBAM is not doing damage in California. The false damage that CDFA reported to the media over two years now is inconsistent with their own PEIR that post dates all previous false claims of damage. CDFA, with USDA's assistance, will now shift their propaganda to "Potential Damage" from LBAM or another invasive pest in order to keep the money flowing.
LBAM is actually being controlled, as other tortricidae moths, by natural predators and insects parasitizing the eggs. This is wonderful news for the people and farmers of California, but not for CDFA. CDFA's general fund budget is about $80 million per year. LBAM represents an ADDITIONAL $100 million per year if CDFA can keep the eradication program alive. CDFA does not want to give up an extra $100 million per year.
See the true biology of LBAM and its care. at lbamspray.com Report section, report #21
3.
Sterile moths will not work as stated by Prof Carey. It is ridiculous waste of taxpayer money and is unnecessary for LBAM.
There is NO THREAT caused by the LBAM ANYWHERE it is found in the world. The moth has been in the state for decades and has, by CDFA's own admission in their EIR, NOT CAUSED ANY DAMAGE in the state. The moth was misclassified decades ago and the USDA and CDFA refuse to respect modern research and knowledge regarding the real threat of this innocuous insect. In New Zealand, where it has been found for more then 100 years (this is true also for Hawaii, the UK, and everywhere it is native or has been introduced) farmers are required to provide only LBAM-free produce if they intend to export to the US. New Zealand farmers are not subject to quarantines, do not have to have LBAM-free farms, and the government helps these farmers with useful information on control. Our CDFA and USDA are not there to help just prevent farmers from doing their jobs and imposing restrictions. LBAM is easy to control with organic IPM methods.
The ONLY threat of LBAM is the inspections and draconian quarantines imposed on our farmers and the violation of our farms and businesses by the CDFA/USDA. The media and agricultural commissioners have not acted responsibly and need to check the misinformation they promulgate as facts regarding the LBAM and the eradication program.
Be aware that the mating disruption hormones used to reduce the number of LBAM have never had efficacy tests completed in any setting outside of agriculture. The CDFA do not know if these substances will even work. These chemical pheromones have also never been tested for any effects on humans. Please understand that the levels of these artificial substances being used in urban areas are at levels 10's of thousands of times more concentrated than those encountered in nature. What are the effects of these very persistent chemicals on humans? No one knows? Do you want to accept that risk?
Resist the quarantines, ask questions, get educated (Northern California resisted after the CDFA sprayed regions of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties with synthetic chemicals never meant for or tested for exposure to humans and without any efficacy tests on how these treatments might work), urge reclassification of LBAM. Refuse to sign compliance agreements until all of your questions are answered. Stand up and fight with legal challenges. LBAM is not a threat, our Ag agencies are the real threat despite the fact their job is to protect us.
There are no Light Brown Apple Moths mating at this cold time of year. To put out sterile moths now is simply to keep the money flowing to this false program. The moths are in Larva form at this time and NONE ARE MATING. Of course USDA will say that they stopped the mating and it was a success.
How in-the-face can these liars be that continue to take scarce public funds that are so important to real people in this difficult economy. They fake the danger of bugs. They unnecessarily upset the balances in nature that are truly our only real protections. They use unnecessary pesticides through Billion dollar contracts given to their privileged insider buddies at the largest corporate chemical companies where they will work (be rewarded) when they leave government "Service."
When you consider the pain that these people deliver across the population in monies taken unnecessarily and unnecessary toxins delivered into our children's lives, they do more damage and are worse criminals than 99% of those in our prisons. They just do their crimes behind a suit and a position that people trust.
Posted by RobertW on November 19, 2009 at 9:53 AM