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Four residents asked Tifton City Council on Monday to reconsider a recent vote in favor of a contract with Astro Exterminating Services to spray a chemical called PermX to kill adult mosquitoes in the city limits.
Astro began spraying city neighborhoods at dusk April 3, beginning with Council District 1. Spraying is taking place on Thursdays between 7-10 p.m. Streets in Districts 2 and 3 were sprayed the second and third weeks of April, and District 4 streets will be sprayed this Thursday, April 24.
Mosquito spraying has been ongoing in Tift County, and the county discontinued spraying inside the city limits several years ago.
The four women who spoke during the public address portion of Monday's meeting asked City Council to reconsider spraying an insecticide called Perm-X or permethrin. They suggested a larvicide called bacillus thuringiensis or BTI. They cited Environmental Protection Agency information regarding the toxicity of permethrin and said the city should have mailed information to residents informing them of plans to begin mosquito spraying.
Mayor Julie B. Smith said a council member who voted in favor of the mosquito spraying would be required to recall the vote. She said that the city’s charter said that the mayor cannot make such a motion.
“Once the vote has been taken, the only people that can bring that up for reconsideration for the council to vote is somebody who voted in favor,” Smith said.
“Josh (Reynolds) and Lester (Cromer) did not vote in favor; they voted against it, so they can’t bring it up because they voted against it.”
Unless it is reconsidered, Smith said, that vote stands. She said it would take a motion by either Councilmen M. Jay Hall or Michael Franks to reconsider the vote. “Those are the rules we’re playing by,” she said.
Faith Royal addressed council, saying that the EPA toxic chemical sheet labeled permethrin as a harmful pesticide. She said signs were not posted announcing the spraying area as required.
“It’s dangerous for pollinators,” Royal said. “It’s dangerous for beneficial insects. It’s dangerous for humans. It’s dangerous for pets. Maybe not on a grand scale level, but it is dangerous.”
She asked if farmers are aware of the spraying and its risks. “Do they know that pecans, peanuts, figs, and citrus are not on the list of what’s allowed to be sprayed or sprayed near with that particular pesticide?”
Royal gave council members EPA fact sheets on permethrin and BTI, and signage rules from the state. While spraying is occurring, she said actions could be taken such as turning off air conditioners, covering any outside pet food or water, not letting pets outside, and not engaging with the pesticide until it’s dried. She said it doesn’t dry until two to three hours after sunrise, and “pollinators hit the ground first thing in the morning.”
Kayla Janes, who lives in Tift County just outside of District 1, said, “We are in a historic decline of pollinators, bees, and butterflies.” She urged the two councilmen who have the power to change the vote to do so.
Michelle Powers, who addressed council three times in February and March about the mosquito spraying issue, urged council to revise the contract to use the BTI larvicide, saying that product is what health departments recommend.
She said a local resident found several dead bees in his yard the day after District 1 was sprayed. She cited the wind speed as 18 mph when her neighborhood was sprayed.
“They are not supposed to spray above 10 mph,” Powers said. She also cited a rule requiring signage and said signs were not posted anywhere.
Powers referred to a single notice on April 2 on the City of Tifton Facebook page, saying it has been lost among subsequent posts on the page, and she called it “totally reckless and false.” She said it goes against what the material data sheet said.
“Harmful if inhaled,” Powers read. “Permethrin affects nervous system. Symptoms of overexposure include diarrhea, salivation, convulsions, hyperactivity, and hypersensitivity.” It also says this product is extremely toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish and invertebrates, she said.
Recommendations from the material safety data sheet say, “Keep children inside when spraying is taking place, bring pets inside, close windows and turn off the air conditioner,” Powers said.
Powers quoted Georgia Bee Supply owner Chuck Hurst saying honeybees are already experiencing a 70% loss of colonies in 2025. “We must make every effort to protect the remaining 30% or we could be facing food shortages within the next few years.”
She said a flyer should have been mailed to residents with the spraying schedule. She asked Councilmen Hall or Franks to make a motion to change the contract with Astro to the BTI larvacide.
Mayor Smith said the council would have to put the issue on a workshop agenda to be discussed in depth next month. City Attorney Rob Wilmot said residents could sign a petition with 20% of registered city voters to request putting the issue on the ballot and then be put before the voters.
“I have an alternative,” said the fourth resident to speak, Marilyn Marshall. “It’s called mosquito dunks.” Entomologist Doug Tallamy, a guru of saving pollinators, wrote a book, “How Can I Help, Saving Nature with our Yards,” she said.
Marshall obtained permission to copy pages from his book telling how to make a mosquito bomb bucket, and she shared them with council members and others present.
“Mosquito spraying is going to kill pollinators that we need,” Marshall said. The most effective way to control mosquitoes is on a small scale, using biologic control with BTI because it kills all the mosquito larvae, Marshall said.
“Although fogging does kill mosquitoes, it never seems to reach enough adults to control the population,” Marshall quoted the author.
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