It's one thing to set out citronella candles to keep the mosquitoes away. It's another to have a company accidentally spray your yard when the bugs weren't even bothering you.
That's what happened to one Redditor. They noticed someone walking around their ravine, spraying. Before they could track them down, the sprayer had left and put a tag on the original poster's front door.
Apparently, the worker was from a local company that sprays toxic chemicals to keep mosquitoes away. When the OP called them, the company said it sprayed their property by accident and meant to spray one nearby.
"I'm furious. I'm a habitat gardener," the OP said in the r/NativePlantGardening community.
It's easy to see why the OP was angry.
While there are extreme situations that may require spraying for mosquitoes in order to protect public health — the Americas, for example, has battled a deadly dengue outbreak this year — pesticides affect everyone, even people who aren't natural gardeners. (And this didn't appear to be an emergency situation.)
According to the European Environment Agency, pesticides are a major cause of pollution and lead to less biodiversity overall.
That's in addition to the damage they can do to the human body. Californians for Pesticide Reform explain that they can cause everything from blisters and rashes to blindness, birth defects, and cancer.
Fortunately, there are effective methods of controlling pests in gardens that won't contribute to dirty air, fewer animal species, or health problems. These are cheaper and safer for everyone who comes into contact with them, and they're easy to use, too.
If you love gardening, you can choose plants like lemon balm that will help repel mosquitoes naturally. There are plenty of ways to keep bugs away that don't include toxic chemicals.
Scientists have also been working to develop less environmentally damaging and toxic methods of mosquito control. For example, scientists at the University of Texas at El Paso believe soap may be the key to creating a healthier insecticide.
Meanwhile, other Redditors commiserated with the OP and offered advice.
"I'm so sorry this happened," someone wrote.
"You should consider talking to a lawyer," one commenter said. "The company admitted that they trespassed and damaged your property."
"All the plants you planted, seeds you sowed, plus you can argue devaluation of the land as it's now contaminated," said another.
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