Permaculture Blog

Six steps to natural mosquito control. The Mosquito Bucket Challenge is a safe, affordable way to control mosquitoes without harming kids, pets, or pollinators.

Source: Mosquito Bucket Challenge – Homegrown National Park

This is a good idea in my opinion. And while it uses mosquito dunks which are a huge hazard in natural pond systems, this is not a natural pond system.

Mosquito dunks should not be used in areas that can run off into natural areas particularly if they have water. The BT toxin is incredibly toxic to many other small aquatic invertebrates. Small aquatic invertebrates such as baby dragonfly larvae that are going to ultimately eat mosquitoes. So if you allow this to run off you’ll be ultimately generating mosquitoes. To remove it and refresh it, maybe once a year, the best thing to do would be to pour it down the drain. Septic systems would be fine with this and municipal city water treatment plants would have absolutely no difficulty. I applaud anybody who uses this system instead of any other kind of pesticide.
Best to you all.

Source: Appellate Court to Cal Fire – You’re Making the Landscape More Flammable – Chaparral Wisdom

Yes! Our First Responders are awesome but manipulative regulatory boards are trying to profit on fires.

OTNP June 2025
Good morning lovely people.
If you want to help keep our children and grandchildren from being poisoned you must decide whether or not to do something active about it.

Please ask our environmental organizations to provide basic information on what pesticides the national parks are spraying.
https://chng.it/9Dj4vKwbK5
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/just-three-easy-steps/

This is the kind of stuff I find all over the place. A decision made by the EPA in 2022 (BTW under Biden 🐸)

“AGENCY:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:
Final rule.

SUMMARY:
This regulation establishes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance for residues of oxirane, 2-methyl-, polymer with oxirane, mono-C9-11-isoalkyl ethers, C10-rich, phosphates, potassium salts (CAS Reg. No. 2275654-37-8), when used as an inert ingredient (surfactant, related adjuvants of surfactant) in pesticide formulations used pre- and post-harvest as well as in formulations applied to livestock. Spring Regulatory Sciences, on behalf of Nouryon Chemicals LLC (USA), submitted a petition to EPA under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), requesting an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance. This regulation eliminates the need to establish a tolerance for residues of oxirane, 2-methyl-, polymer with oxirane, mono-C9-11-isoalkyl ethers, C10-rich, phosphates, potassium salts (CAS Reg. No. 2275654-37-8), on food or feed commodities or when applied to livestock.”

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/09/16/2022-20040/oxirane-2-methyl–polymer-with-oxirane-mono-c9-11-isoalkyl-ethers-c10-rich-phosphates-potassium#:~:text=AGENCY%3A,when%20applied%20to%20livestock.

Hmmmmmm.
First of all I don’t agree that
oxirane, 2-methyl-, polymer with oxirane, mono-C9-11-isoalkyl ethers, C10-rich, phosphates, potassium salts …
is, as the final decision above states, “inert.” I also don’t believe that it should be sprayed on your organic produce.

And; more importantly, I don’t believe that it should be granted a waiver that “eliminates the need to establish a tolerance for residues” of it.  (Info) “A tolerance is a maximum permissible level of a pesticide residue that can legally be present in or on food.”
“The EPA can grant an exemption if it determines that [the chemical] will pose no hazard to the public health.
“The EPA [must have] enough data to assess the risks of the pesticide and conclude that no harm will result from the residue, even without a specific tolerance level.” —Wouldn’t you like to see that data?

And thirdly it’s use in “pre- and post-harvest as well as in formulations applied to livestock” without better documentation is sad.  And exactly why a half dozen forever chemicals were listed as “inert” 2 years ago. These forever chemicals probably had waivers as well

And on another matter I also do not believe that the national park service should be hiding the pesticide use in _Our_ _National_ _Lands_ . Give us _full_ access to the PUPS (pesticide use proposal system) database. Our national parks should not be Bayer, Dow chemical, and the rest of the chemical industries personal playground.

https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/what-can-anyone-do-about-the-pesticide-use-in-our-national-parks/

There are many people that will look at this and roll their eyes; even my friends, but I believe that the uncontrolled chemical explosion that has happened in the past 60 years is one of the greatest threats to this nation, our children, and our future.

I believe it is more important than the political parties convincing you that the next 4 years will make all the difference in the world. I believe it is more important than politicians from both sides who say one thing and do another.

People have completely and utterly lost control over the massive numbers of chemical toxins and their environments and they’ve lost control because they handed this over to politicians and PR Departments.

And if you don’t believe in the power of manipulation watch at least the last half of this.
https://youtu.be/qDkHCaNAo_w?si=fjTgUObFZ9lrnV2W

If you want to help keep our children and grandchildren from being poisoned you must decide whether or not to do something active about it. I believe that enough of us contacting our environmental organizations and convincing them to once again _be environmental organizations_ is the most important thing we can do in this world. I believe that there are actually just three easy things that we can do to significantly better the world, protect vulnerable humans and creatures from chemical atrocities.
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/just-three-easy-steps/

For past OTNP (#_OTNP on X) issues.
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/past-ourtoxicnationalparks-posts/

But you may want to start here. www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/why-i-started-this/

If you have received this as a forward and would like to continue receiving it please email me “vidaaquatic@gmail.com”
And if you would like to donate as little as $5 to the cause, you can Zelle it to vidaaquatic@gmail.com. thank you very much. Bob

A recent email I received.

Quote:
Using IPM to Manage Pests in Lawns and Landscapes

California Department of Pesticide Regulation sent this bulletin at 05/27/2025 09:00 AM PDT

End quote

Unfortunately our California Department of pesticide regulation has sold out to the pesticide industry. These IPM departments are simply extensions of the chemical companies PR departments. They are incredibly well funded, have incredibly wonderful glossy images, and very actively but subtly promote pesticide use. And they are coming for your children’s and grandchildren’s public schools.
Google: IPM and public schools.

OTNP May 2025
Good morning my friends.
This month I would like to remind everyone of the anniversary of the passing of Rachel Carson,

Jeanne Yacoubou, MS 🌎 ⏳ (@jeanneyacoubou) posted at 2:12 PM on Mon, Apr 14, 2025:
On the anniversary of the passing of Rachel Carson, 4/14/64, we have much to be thankful for. Her landmark book, _Silent Spring_, launched the modern environmental movement. To honor her memory, here’s a wonderful biopic: https://t.co/LEZem0fDpO #pesticides #climatecrisis
(https://x.com/jeanneyacoubou/status/1911890352765882665?t=IB0vKYtgnbL5wG8shKuIpA&s=03)
End post

https://chng.it/9Dj4vKwbK5

Ask our environmental organizations to provide basic information on what pesticides the national parks are spraying.

I love biology. I am absolutely horrified that there is not the smallest bit of land in all of America that cannot legally be sprayed with the latest greatest toxins.

We _must_ generate safe zones.
We _must_ create plots of land that cannot be sprayed with all manner of toxic chemicals.

These areas could have and should have been our national parks. But instead our toxic national parks are toxic. And they are hiding their large scale pesticide use.

Enough! Our Toxic National Parks #_OTNP, are simply pesticide enablers.
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/why-i-started-this/

Most people have no idea of the tonnage sprayed on this country as “Inactive ingredients” or “proprietary” ingredients.

What do you think?

If it’s a big secret, should it really be sprayed on literally millions of acres of public land?

This is literally why we have forever chemicals now contaminating our environment along with pesticides and other toxic substances.

The manufacturers have gotten away too long with claiming that they are careful, they study these secret ingredients carefully, for all of our good “it must be kept secret”

Big business is really good at secrets but the only good is….

Is the toxicity _they_ get to hide from us.

GMWatch (@GMWatch) posted at 1:02 PM on Tue, Apr 15, 2025:
Syngenta moving to settle thousands of lawsuits claiming paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease. Internal documents show Syngenta was long aware of evidence paraquat could cause Parkinson’s, and secretly sought to influence research to counter that evidence.
https://t.co/qdo44ApqYI
(https://x.com/GMWatch/status/1912235029414961549?t=afHJjXP45S1b5RbiVMxF3Q&s=03)
End post

And even though the post below is from Europe the mechanism of industry PR strategies is illuminating.

Prof Alex Ford (@DrAlexFord) posted at 0:10 AM on Mon, Apr 07, 2025:
Water industry strategies to manufacture doubt and deflect blame for sewage pollution in England | Nature Water https://t.co/Y9bfPMrAS9
(https://x.com/DrAlexFord/status/1909141755041308946?t=elzUaybLn648K21OqJU3Zw&s=03)
End post

VidaAquatic (@VidaAquatic) posted at 3:45 PM on Wed, Apr 23, 2025:

My friends it is not just the forever chemicals!  It is the thousands and thousands of completely unregulated and untested adjuvants sprayed mainly with poorly tested pesticides —

https://t.co/uyI95bgEOc

(https://x.com/VidaAquatic/status/1915175140687786194?t=ZlcV4JCYm87pLL99Hg0vCA&s=03)

even on _organic_ produce.

WOW

_You_ can do something about this. _You_ can  encourage our environmental groups to be environmental groups again in three easy steps.

Just three easy steps

The very best to you all

For past OTNP (#_OTNP on X) issues.
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/past-ourtoxicnationalparks-posts/

But you may want to start here. www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/why-i-started-this/

If you have received this as a forward and would like to continue receiving it please email me “vidaaquatic@gmail.com”
And if you would like to donate as little as $5 to the cause, you can Zelle it to vidaaquatic@gmail.com. thank you very much. Bob

The contagious, fatal illness in deer, elk and moose must be taken seriously, say experts as it takes hold in the US and reaches other countries. While it has not infected humans yet, the risk is growing

Source: ‘Don’t call it zombie deer disease’: scientists warn of ‘global crisis’ as infections spread across the US

Oh my! Search my blog site up in the right hand corner for others of my posts along this line

Good morning lovely people.

In Conan O’Brien’s acceptance of the 26th Mark Twain Prize he said: “Accepting an award named after Mark Twain is a responsibility. One cannot invoke Twain without understanding who he was and what he stood for.”
….
“Twain wrote, ‘Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time and your government when it deserves it.”

https://chng.it/9Dj4vKwbK5

Please ask our environmental organizations to provide basic information on what pesticides Our [toxic!] national parks are spraying.

How many of you remember my gold spotted oak borer post (https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/dirt/) where I criticized California’s use of carbaryl in our oak forests?

Well just a current update
Quote:

Judge orders wildlife service to do more to protect imperiled species from pesticides

A federal judge ruled late Wednesday that the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) must finish assessing the impact of five pesticides on endangered and threatened species, and that the agency had violated federal law with its “unreasonable” delay in completing the required analyses.

The five chemicals include the weed killers atrazine and simazine, and the insecticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and carbaryl.
End quote:

Carbaryl

The lawsuit above was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity. Thank goodness there are still some people who are thinking in the world.

And why does the _Canadian_ Sierra Club have a big section on pesticides? The US Sierra Club strategically has a page (supposedly) but the link is broken and has been for over a year even though I’ve notified them of it many times. I would never think that they are taking mega donations from the pesticide manufacturers.

91% of the 1,800 animals and plants supposedly protected by the Endangered Species Act were found to be _likely_ harmed by carbaryl. _91%_ but hey it breaks down quickly. Well _not_. …. So it’s okay.
Well _not_.

It is not just Trump. Somehow it started in California under Biden. And I know many of you don’t want to hear that, but the pesticide industry has both sides in its pocket, as well as our national park bureaucracy, and a few of our big environmental organizations as well.

Carbaryl, and many other pesticides that aren’t even on this current lawsuit are just not good for our oak forests or Our Toxic National Parks.
The best to you all!

For past OTNP (#_OTNP on X) issues.
https://www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/past-ourtoxicnationalparks-posts/

But you may want to start here. www.puravidaaquatic.com/wordpress/why-i-started-this/

If you have received this as a forward and would like to continue receiving it please email me “vidaaquatic@gmail.com”
And if you would like to donate as little as $5 to the cause, you can Zelle it to vidaaquatic@gmail.com. thank you very much. Bob

Source:https://scitechdaily.com/what-if-the-best-way-to-save-nature-is-to-let-it-change/

Too much of our paternalistic manipulation of mother nature causes more problems than it solves. The term invasive has become a political football often used to promote profit over nature.
The logging industry screams bloody murder over invasive insects because it damages their profit not that it’s bad for nature or the birds that would have been able to eat those “invasive” insects