April 16 is the beginning of a pesticide-bacteria spraying program in western Washington, authorized by the Washington State Department of Agriculture. The stated purpose is to kill Asian and European gypsy moths.
Here is a map of the areas being sprayed.
Approved by authorities and opposed by many people, they decided to spray a bacteria with pesticide properties called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), the bacteria from which a gene comes that is used in GM crops to kill insects.
An area in Vancouver will also be sprayed Saturday, then the states moves onto Kent, Lacey, Gig Harbor, Nisqually and Seattle’s Capitol Hill. This year the WSDA will use a red and white fixed wing plane to drop the pesticide 250 feet above ground level.Asian and European gypsy Moths have been detected this year in Washington. The invasive insects have ferocious appetites for maple and oak and foliage from trees and plants. The Washington State Department of Agriculture says the damage caused by the moths would have serious economic and environmental implications.
Does anybody have a problem with this? Given the shady history of the US government testing harmful bacteria on civilians, such as San Francisco or New York City in 1966 Navy Operation Sea Spray, citizens would be wise to test the state and somehow observe for themselves what is happening here.
Sure it could be relatively innocuous, but it’s necessary for the people to be a check and balance to the state: to this bureaucracy of the Department of Agriculture (known for cracking down on seed banks and supporting agrichemical giants).
Maybe someone could run an independent chemical test on this bacterial spray, or put it under a microscope. Any mechanism of holding the state accountable while they encroach further and further upon our lives would be worthy of trying at this point.
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This article (Seattle, Olympia to be Sprayed With Bacteria Used For GMO Genetics (Bt): to Treat Moths) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Era of Wisdom.org.
Umm, this “GMO” used bt insecticide is in fact an organic approved insecticide used safely by organic farmers and gardeners and really has nothing to do with GMOs…
Clear Food: yep, you got it right. I’ve used it for years on tent caterpillars, grasshoppers and other critters and I’ve been an organic gardener for decades. One would think the writer would have looked it up before writing. If it isn’t GM it should be fine.
I wrote this article, definitely understand that it’s used for that. I recommended people do their own independent chemical or bacterial testing on the substance they spray, to hold the state accountable and determine the safety of what they are spraying ourselves. The important part for me is the fact that they’re doing this regardless of how people feel about it, I think we should test the substance and hold them accountable.
You wrote this article? Well, thank you for that. We all need more info about this stuff. For instance, why do other countries without hesitation deny the GMO food to enter their country? Has anyone SEEN the rats that were fed this stuff? I’ve never seen so many tumors on my animals and I try to keep them away from cheap products. My chocolate lab has a tumor in a lung or in the same place as the lung and it is the size of a soccer ball. I’ve had a huge tumor taken off my other lab that the vets called an ‘allergy’. Lots of lumps and bumps…sure they’ve had access to the cheap dog food with lots of GMO corn included and I’ve never had a dog with tumors like this…even two dogs.
Bt is a pretty cool substance and is called a pesticide because that is what it is used for. Bt comes in 3 varieties. Only one is available to us and that Bt produces toxins only specific to caterpillars. There are 2 others; one for mosquitos and one for beetles. Haven’t found them available. Bt is the bacteria that produces the toxin. The caterpillars eat the leaves that are sprayed with this and stop eating because they feel full. Then they starve to death. Very, very specific.
Somehow these idiot chemical companies (Monsanto) have attached something to the genome of vegetables that the plant itself is actually producing this same toxin. This saves the farmers money I guess but once a farmer starts using GMO they are unable to switch back to NON GMO seed. They’ve screwed up other countries and little farmers because of this. Start using GMO and you are a slave to GMO seed. btw this is just scratching the surface of GMO changes.
I was hoping (grins) that the fatties would find by eating GMO with this Bt that they would STOP EATING and lose weight. Haven’t noticed this effect. Probably because we aren’t caterpillars…that is how ‘safe’ this stuff is. But sorry. I DON’T WANT TO eat this toxin so I don’t eat corn anymore. Problem is almost all GMO has been altered to where it is no longer a healthy thing to eat and Bt is just ONE alteration. There is also GLYPHOSATE or a roundup herbicide included in the genome now. Also a ‘pretty’ safe chemical but NOT FOR EATING!! Who knows the extent of their changes, alterations and our reactions to this stuff. WE don’t know. THEY don’t care about OUR HEALTH. We are guinea pigs. We just work to make money for the ELITES.
This has been tested I think! Look it up and take a peek at the poor mice and rats. And yet they thought that tumors were no big deal…they just don’t care. If you aren’t growing your own food, you are probably buying and eating GMO. I do not buy anything that doesn’t say NON GMO. Recently, the label restrictions on GMO were stopped. Product does not have to say GMO OR NON GMO anymore. I just hope that decent farmers and producers of food keep on labeling. Otherwise I do not buy GMO. My animals do not eat GMO. I only purchase NON GMO seeds for my garden. Can’t make my own seed because the pollen of GMO vegetables are floating everywhere.
In addition what is truly weird is that our forests are pretty unhealthy. Because they are unhealthy (pH change in the soil for example) our trees especially conifers are getting major damage from bark beetles. Why don’t they spray the beetle Bt on our forests? I’ve seen hugely brown and very sick wilderness that are perfect for fire. Yet they put this stuff in the genome of our vegetables…not just corn! Spraying Bt is fine, eating is not! btw I have been for decades a licensed commercial pesticide applicator. The only license I’ve not gotten is pesticides for water. I’ll never ever do that but I took the seminars just to get the knowledge. Superior.
The cool thing about pesticide applicator licensing is that the people giving the tests (WSU cooperative extension service) teach how NOT TO HAVE TO USE PESTICIDES. Then there are the guys who have to have a license to use the pesticides for landscape maintenance. Anyone with a pickup can go do landscape maintenance. But boy do these hard working uneducated people have a tough time. They make problems… This pesticide licensing has the option to just go take the test or a seminar series to teach one how to pass the test. I’d make sure my hired lawn mower ‘service’s are licensed!! Demand it ’cause it is the law!
Sigh, unfortunately it is not the corporations but HOMEOWNERS that use pesticides incorrectly. Seriously. Homeowners are horrible!!
federal laws prohibit spraying the the concoction they are using on or near people as seen in the msds sheets
To be clear : Organic farmers do use Bt ;HOWEVER the Bt that is used in GMO foods is not the same strain and has been altered to boot. Don’t trust that the benign version of this is all they are spraying either; I
Sorry was cut off on last post. Cape Cod was sprayed for the Gypsy moth back in the 50s when I was a child . They used LEAD ARSENATE for 5 years & then DDT for 17 more years. 50 years later I have lung problems [never smoked] & my chelation urine quantification tests are full of lead & arsenic. When they killed [silenced] the birds ;Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring & the EPA was formed. They are now studying breast, prostate & lung cancer pockets on the Cape at the Dana Farber Hospital.
From the label of Southern AG Thuricide (Btk):
PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS HAZARDS TO HUMANS
CAUTION: Avoid breathing spray mist. Avoid contact with
skin, eyes or clothing. Wash thoroughly with soap and water
after handling. FIRST AID: If on eyes or skin, immediately flush
with plenty of water. Get medical attention if irritation persists.
BUYER ASSUMES all risks and liability from use, handling, or stor-
age of this product not in strict accordance with the directions and
precautions given herewith.
DIRECTIONS FOR USE
It is a violation of Federal Law to use this product in a manner
inconsistent with its labeling.
Washington State: you are in violation of federal law by spraying this stuff directly on your citizens.
Bacillus thuringiensis is the product of a bacterium specifically meant to deal with caterpillars. Makes the caterpillars feel so full they stop eating and then they starve to death. There are 2 other types of Bt…one for mosquitos and one for beetles. Very specific, very cool if used correctly.
Bt is NOT GMO. Let’s get that straight right now. GMO uses something or other to splice Bt toxin making into the genes of plants we eat such as corn. This is in an effort to save money on pesticides their farmers use to get the most out of their crops. Too weird. Too gross. So wrong.
Very true, Sharon. I was wondering what the author of this article is trying to pull. I am guessing he is just ignorant of things he writes about. Typical for the modern blogger
This article is testing us (us = those reading this article and responding) to see just how unawares we are.
I wouldn’t want them spraying anything – they are not your friend and have proven to be untrustworthy.
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I’ve tried to find exactly what MOTH they are spraying FOR. Obviously they need to spray when this moth is in larval form…let me know. I’ll keep looking for the specific ‘pest’…of primary importance to know the dang critter one is using any pesticide for. Then one can also do PREVENTATIVE cultural methods instead of using a bandaid for problems created because of bad information or no botanical, entomological information!!
I live in Western Washington but not directly in the area they are to spray…. I live in Tacoma. About 16 years ago they said there was this same problem with these moths ( I lived in northeast tacoma then) We were leaving somewhere in a car and a plane is spraying all around. (This was before we had the internet) On a saturday afternoon. I remember the butterflies all died. Never saw a one around there for years. Especially the monarch. I can’t believe this is safe to do. Especially on a Saturday again… when everyone is home.
I remember it was a planned route to spray like this is but they wound up spraying a lot more area.