1. Picking The Best Bug Repellents. The alarm over the Zika epidemic has diminished since last summer, but the risk of contracting bug-borne diseases remains high.
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tickand insect-transmitted diseases, which can have serious health impacts and may even lead to death, are on the rise. While the agency has reported no cases of Zika transmission in the U.S. in 2018, it warns that pest-borne diseases are “a large and growing public health problem in the United States.”
The CDC reports that cases of disease from mosquito, tick and flea bites more than tripled in the U.S. from 2004 to 2016, and the rate of emergence of new or newly recognized pathogens is increasing. Since 2004, nine new germs spread by mosquitoes and ticks have been discovered or introduced in the U.S, including the mosquito-borne viruses Zika and chikungunya.
Tick-borne diseases, primarily Lyme disease, account for much of the increase. The incidence of Lyme disease has nearly doubled since 2004, with 36,429 cases reported in 2016.1 The problem is likely much larger because the actual number of Lyme disease cases may be 10 times higher, affecting 300,000 people annually.
Experts predict bites and infections will continue to rise because of a warming climate that expands the habitat of species such as ticks and mosquitoes. With the increased need for protection, it is important to recognize that there is no perfect and completely safe way to prevent bug bites.
Many people are concerned about the possible drawbacks of common repellent active ingredients, like DEET. EWG researchers have analyzed the science in depth and found that, with proper application and precaution, our recommended active ingredients – Picaridin, DEET, and IR3535 – effectively reduce risk from life-altering disease and have very low toxicity concerns.
The Environmental Protection Agency regulates insect repellents and requires companies to submit data to verify their claims of repellency. The problem for consumers is that a product may not provide as many hours of protection as listed on the product label. This is for many reasons, including different test conditions, different types of mosquitoes tested and the differences in repellency for different individuals. EWG recommends using an EPAregistered repellent. When vector-borne disease is a concern, start with the repellents that have most tests showing efficacy in different situations.
Start with repellent ingredients that EWG found to be top picks:
- Picaridin [Learn more]
- DEET (at less than 30 percent) [Learn more]
- IR3535 (at 20 percent) [Learn more]
Other effective options:
- Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus and its synthetic derivative PMD [Learn more]
- 2-Undecanone [Learn more]
These repellents offer a high level of protection from a variety of biting insects and ticks, have good safety profiles, and are registered with the EPA, so they must provide data on both efficacy and toxicity. If a product is not working for you or your family, we recommend trying one with a different active ingredient. The EPA maintains an online repellent search tool to help you find products that it has reviewed.
DEET’s safety profile is better than many people assume. It has a long history of use, is very effective in reducing bites and has minimal safety concerns. DEET isn’t a perfect choice, nor the only choice. But weighed against the consequences of a life-changing disease, such as West Nile virus, we believe it is a reasonable choice.
In the 60 years DEET has been for sale to the public, there have been few reported cases of toxicity. Concerns have often been raised about DEET’s potential to be neurotoxic to children. But follow-up studies have not linked DEET to neurotoxicity. A 2003 report concluded that evidence does not support increased risk of adverse toxic effects in young children, and a recent 2017 report also found it unlikely that DEET causes neurotoxicity.2,3
While products based on botanical extracts do not make our top picks, they may be worth trying if bug-borne diseases are not known to be a problem where you are going. But many of these products contain allergens in highly concentrated forms. Effectiveness varies widely.
Before traveling, check the CDC’s Zika travel map for up-to-date Zika information.
2. Thistle While They Work: Volunteers Try To Tackle Invasive Plant In Picture Canyon Source.: Adrian Skabelund, Flagstaff Sun Staff Reporter.
It was a warm August morning when the group of about eight volunteers descended the short distance into Picture Canyon carrying shovels and large blue plastic bags. The volunteers, members of the Picture Canyon Working Group, are targeting invasive plants — as they have done every other Wednesday for several years — and today the target is primarily scotch thistle.
Karen Enyedy is one of the volunteers. Thrusting her shovel into the root system of a thistle, she uses her light blue leather gloves to pull the plant out of the ground and snips off the most mature of its flowers.
This year has been a bumper crop for scotch thistle, which they previously had a fairly good handle on in Picture Canyon, Enyedy said. This year’s wetter than normal spring provided scotch thistle with the perfect weather in which to grow, Enyedy said, adding she has seen the plant in areas it’s never been before.
Invasive plants can be important to manage as depending on the circumstances, they tend to take over ecosystems and can out compete native plant communities, said Botanist with the Coconino National Forest Debra Crisp.
Some weeds can also be poisonous to grazing animals and certain weeds, like Scotch Thistle, can also impede recreational activities, Crisp said.
But even this year’s bumper crop of thistle is nothing compared to what Picture Canyon looked like as recently as 10 years ago, Enyedy said.
At that time, instead of the meandering creek that runs through the field of native bunch grasses and riparian vegetation, the water flowed through a strait channel flanked by hundreds of scotch thistle and other invasive plants.
That changed after the Wildcat Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant, which feeds water into Picture Canyon, and the city worked with the company Natural Channel Design to restore the area’s natural riparian habitat, said Cathy Scudieri, who works for Natural Channel Design.
Scudieri wasn’t working with the company at the time, but she is now a regular volunteer helping to eliminate the weeds that remain and keep them out every year.
The project included money to fight weeds for only a few years after it was completed, but since then, the majority of the work has been done by volunteers from the Picture Canyon Working Group.
Those volunteers have learned to respect their adversary. Unlike native thistle, which is a kinder looking plant, nearly every centimeter of scotch thistle is covered in prickly leaves.
And with thistle able to produce as many as 40,000 seeds, that’s a possibility they do their best to avoid, even disposing of the flower heads they collect in a county incinerator rather than throwing them away, Enyedy said.
But this year, those volunteers have gotten some help. In 2018, the City of Flagstaff and the Picture Canyon Working Group were awarded a state grant to help combat the weeds, said City Open Space Specialist Robert Wallace.
The grant provided the city $20,000 to treat invasive and noxious plants in and around Picture Canyon, with local partners providing a $20,000 match.
3. Solid and Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention Workshop in Flagstaff
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Waste Programs Division invites interested community members and business and government personnel to participate in our free workshop. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the latest requirements and best practices and to earn Professional Development Hours.
Wednesday, Sep. 25
Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Coconino County Community Services and Health Services District, Ponderosa Conference Room – 2625 N King St, Flagstaff Learn more and register at azdeq.gov
4. What Was Invented By Lazio and Georg Biro That We Use Almost Daily? Answer on Below 6
5. Pickin’ Up In The Pines. Sunday, August 18th, 2019: We will meet at Forest Service Road
237 along the 89A just outside of Flagstaff, AZ. Look for event signage at the 237 turn-off as we will meet and have volunteers park about 1000 ft. down the road. Please strive to arrive by 12:45 in order to check-in and fill out volunteer waivers.
Once everyone is checked in, we will learn more about equipment (PPE) requirements. We will split up into groups to pick-up along Forest Service Roads 237 and 535. PPE, cleaning supplies, and all other equipment will be provided. Please carpool (if possible) provided. Please carpool (if possible), wear proper warm weather hiking clothes, snacks to fuel your work in protecting the Oak Creek Watershed!
After our hard work, REI Co-Op will hold a raffle with special edition REI Stewardship Tshirts, bandanas, and other sweet gear that is open to all ages! And, a local favorite, Dark Sky Brewing Company will be handing out $2 drink tickets to volunteers Who are over 21 years old. And again, be sure to register beforehand as space is limited!
It’s going to take us all to remove the waste left behind from summer campers so we can promote the scenic beauty of our forests and to protect our precious waterways. A cleaner forest encourages future visitors to leave it that way. We are very grateful for our partners and we really hope to see you there! Please do not hesitate to contact OCWC Executive Director, Kalai Kollus with any questions at kalai@oakcreekwatershed.org
6. Need To Refresh Your OSHA 8-Hour Certification? A class is schedualed for within the next few weeks. Call Dan (623) 930-8197 or e-mail (sconflict@aol.com) right away to register. $80 covers registration, breakfast and lunch.
Answer to No 4 above: The Ball point pen was invented by Lazio and Georg Biro
