Spraying for mosquitoes and ticks causes more harm than we realize, according to this recent article on pages 3 and 6 of the summer edition of Shorelines, the Muskoka Lakes Association's quarterly newsletter. 

Exhaustively researched and written by James McFarlane and Chris Brew of the Muskoka Lakes Association,  they argue that routine permethrin spraying for mosquitoes and ticks may create significant environmental and health risks that are often overlooked.

They challenge claims that permethrin is harmless to people, pets, pollinators and wildlife, question its effectiveness in reducing tick-borne disease, and highlight concerns about persistence, spray drift and cumulative exposure. They also provide links to less harmful alternatives.

Worth a read if you are considering spraying.