We would like to encourage our fellow residents to vote “No” on Article 39 at the upcoming Annual Town Meeting. This article asks the Town of Harvard if it would like to become a member of the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP.)
Joining the CMMCP is not in the best interest of our town. For example, the town of Harvard’s Finance Committee does not recommend doing so. Mass Audubon also discourages mosquito control via membership in such programs. (See their official position and recommended alternatives at their website: www.massaudubon.org/get-involved/take-action/issues-legislation/mosquitoes)
It is of particular concern that CMMCP carries out late night/early morning curbside insecticide spraying prompted simply by telephone calls/email messages from residents bothered by the presence of mosquitoes on their property. The resulting decision to spray a neighborhood constitutes “nuisance spraying,” which Mass Audubon’s website states is ill advised.
The effectiveness of such spraying is also debatable. At a recent informational meeting hosted by the town of Harvard’s Board of Health, Timothy Deschamps, Executive Director of the CMMCP, stated that within 3-5 days of a localized spraying, mosquitoes will begin to repopulate the treated area from surrounding untreated areas, and, within 5-6 days, mosquito populations will have returned to pre-spray levels.
Our family has lived in communities that were members of mosquito control projects similar to the CMMCP. Such membership affected our daily lives from springtime through the first frost because we did not want to come in contact with this harmful, aerosolized insecticide. Although it was possible to register our property for exemption from spraying, insecticide drift remained a concern. A daily review of spraying schedules was required to know when to display “do not spray” signs on our property, keep our windows closed even on hot summer nights, and remove/cover toys and yard furniture in our yard. Such precautions did not prevent our lawn itself from being sprayed, which worried us when pets and children went barefoot on following days.
With these points in mind, we encourage the town of Harvard to develop a different approach to mosquito control.
Christopher Durham and Andrea Juchartz
Stow Road
