What are they spraying?

[BonnieandClyde]

We live in a house on a small soi near the Gymkhana Club and Wat Muang Guy.

This morning the soi was sprayed, or rather fogged, with something that is presumably meant to kill, or keep mosquitos from breeding.

Does anyone know what is being used, and how dangerous to people it might be. We don't have small children, but we do have several pets and would like to know if precautions should be taken in the future if they do it again.

Thanks for any information.

[junglechef]

FYI supposably four people have died in San Sai this week, I assume from dengue and not the spray. I have in the past asked them not to spray my property (organic farming, kids, pets) but am thinking of letting them this time so am also very interested in what they are using.

[proovms]

Apparently it's smoke, as it kills mosquitoes. I wouldn't be too worried.

[CMSteve]

It is not smoke. It is def a chemical based fog.

Apparently it's smoke, as it kills mosquitoes. I wouldn't be too worried.

Edited August 23, 2013 by CMSteve

[masuk]

Well, I did raise this subject a couple of weeks ago and no one seemed to have any idea what they use.

As I commented at the time, the street was running with large cockroaches, who didn't like it at all!

[BonnieandClyde]

Apparently it's smoke, as it kills mosquitoes. I wouldn't be too worried.

Thanks for the input; but it has a strong chemical smell to it and we are a little worried.

[Dante99]

Why don't you just ask them and have a look at their stuff?

It is not smoke. Last time I asked they told me it was water with a bit of diesel fuel or kerosene added. To each his own about how dangerous it might me. You probably breath in more diesel fumes at the gas station when you are fueling your scooter.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Dante99

[BonnieandClyde]

Why don't you just ask them and have a look at their stuff?

It is not smoke. Last time I asked they told me it was water with a bit of diesel fuel or kerosene added. To each his own about how dangerous it might me. You probably breath in more diesel fumes at the gas station when you are fueling your scooter.

Agreed, if it's just diesel fuel or kerosene, but it smells like something else.

And as far as asking them is concerned... they'd just tell you what they think you'd want to hear.

[masuk]

Is there a Thai speaker who can ask the city (Health Dept) ?

[elektrified]

It is not smoke. It is def a chemical based fog.

Apparently it's smoke, as it kills mosquitoes. I wouldn't be too worried.

It is not smoke it is chemical-based but the machine they use to fog emits a lot smoke on it's own for some reason.

[MESmith]

Watching from my house how the rice farmers spray pesticides on their crop, with only protection from the sun rather than the chemicals, & the wind blowing it everywhere, Gawd knows what they add to the diesel / kerosene mix. Not sure I'd want to be breathing a fog of diesel anyway. Keep the windows closed & use mossie repellent (citronella).

[haybilly]

When I lived in a Thai Moo Bahn in Kamphaeng Phet--they went around with those petrol/diesel powered blowing machines spraying the same stuff everywhere--but mainly into the drain holes--as another poster said it was fun to watch the cock roaches running for their lives out of the drains--and then dying--result!! I hasten to add that I was watching from behind tightly closed windows.

[Dante99]

Why don't you just ask them and have a look at their stuff?

It is not smoke. Last time I asked they told me it was water with a bit of diesel fuel or kerosene added. To each his own about how dangerous it might me. You probably breath in more diesel fumes at the gas station when you are fueling your scooter.

Agreed, if it's just diesel fuel or kerosene, but it smells like something else.

And as far as asking them is concerned... they'd just tell you what they think you'd want to hear.

Hey that works for me, I let them know that I want to hear the truth and that is what they tell me.

It is really amazing what you can learn talking to Thais with respect. Unfortunately many here do not have enough respect to learn enough Thai to have a conversation.

[BonnieandClyde]

Why don't you just ask them and have a look at their stuff?

It is not smoke. Last time I asked they told me it was water with a bit of diesel fuel or kerosene added. To each his own about how dangerous it might me. You probably breath in more diesel fumes at the gas station when you are fueling your scooter.

Agreed, if it's just diesel fuel or kerosene, but it smells like something else.

And as far as asking them is concerned... they'd just tell you what they think you'd want to hear.

Hey that works for me, I let them know that I want to hear the truth and that is what they tell me.

It is really amazing what you can learn talking to Thais with respect. Unfortunately many here do not have enough respect to learn enough Thai to have a conversation.

Quite true on all counts.

We speak the language, and have been here long enough to know how much Thais value courtesy.

Still in all, it's sometimes hard to get information when you need it.

[Iamemjay]

Its just water with a bit of kerosene added and a machine to create the fog - not harmful at all, except to the mossies. Thailand is not unique here - used in many countries and much safer than the pesticides and pure kero they use in many parts of eg. Australia.

[jollyposty]

have it at my place to reminds me of paraffin? longgg time ago

[transam]

No problem, ex WW1 mustard gas. Works a treat on everything but mosquitoes. ......................

I jest, (I think)

[neilrob]

Its just water with a bit of kerosene added and a machine to create the fog - not harmful at all, except to the mossies. Thailand is not unique here - used in many countries and much safer than the pesticides and pure kero they use in many parts of eg. Australia.

How do you know this? What is your source of information and how reliable is it? Do you actually know this to be true? I hope you are right, but although you may be an exception, many people post on Thaivisa without knowing what they are talking about.

[elektrified]

Its just water with a bit of kerosene added and a machine to create the fog - not harmful at all, except to the mossies. Thailand is not unique here - used in many countries and much safer than the pesticides and pure kero they use in many parts of eg. Australia.

No, that is not true. I looked around and can't find the paper anymore but years ago they used to put a paper on the gate the day before they fogged saying what the chemicals were that they were going to use to kill the mosquitoes. One could decline if they wished. But hey have not come around our moobaan to spray in 3 years or so now.

[transam]

The operators here wear masks, wonder why.

[Farma]

There's an official answer as to the chemicals and health risk of the fog in this phuket gazette link.

http://www.phuketgazette.net/issuesanswers/printing.asp?id=1236

“The “fog” targets small insects such as mosquitoes, cockroaches and flies.

I would not say that the fog is 100 per cent safe because it is produced from a chemical compound, but this depends on how you are exposed to it.

If you come into contact with the chemicals emanating from ULV fog machines on Municipality vehicles or the hand-held devices, you will be fine as its density is only enough to effect the respiratory systems of small creatures. The chemical quantities in the fog are too little to harm the human body.

However, being sprayed directly in the face would certainly cause some breathing problems.

There are no problems if you just walk through the smoke. Do not worry, the chemical is washable.

As for its chemical composition, we are using a pyrethroid group compound known as delta methyl.

Active ingredients depend on what the Phuket Public Health Office has approved for use each year.

We only conduct free pest-control services in official public areas or private property that is disused.

Hotels or other businesses that would like to use our services have to pay about 500 baht each time, depending on how big the area is.”

Thursday, September 1, 2011 1:31:50 PM Komsan Roengsearee, an officer at Phuket City Municipality Sanitation Department.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Farma

[BillyBobThai]

Growing up in the 1950's in the southern US, the city had a truck with a large fogging machine on the back and would travel through the subdivision each week in the summer. All of us kids would run behind the truck and play in the fog. They were spraying DDT back then. Now at the age of 62 I am fair health except for a bad heart.

[transam]

Growing up in the 1950's in the southern US, the city had a truck with a large fogging machine on the back and would travel through the subdivision each week in the summer. All of us kids would run behind the truck and play in the fog. They were spraying DDT back then. Now at the age of 62 I am fair health except for a bad heart.

Actually, both my Grandpa's were exposed to mustard gas in the trenches in WW1 and lived till their late 70's.

[Dancealot]

A quick search came up with this.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/11/10/paraguay.pesticide.attack/

Were you informed or alerted before the spraying?

[xen]

I doubt very much it would be kerosene as the results would effect the vegetation unless in very small concentration. Many years ago we used to spray gravel driveways and pathways to kill weeds with kero and nothing would grow back for 12 months or more. More likely a pyrethrin based chemical. Just hope it is not organo-phosphate chemical being misted.

[haybilly]

Its just water with a bit of kerosene added and a machine to create the fog - not harmful at all, except to the mossies. Thailand is not unique here - used in many countries and much safer than the pesticides and pure kero they use in many parts of eg. Australia.

"

I hope you are right, but although you may be an exception, many people post on Thaivisa without knowing what they are talking about."

A classic example right here--it is certainly not just kerosene--I too have seen the officila 'piece' of paper before spraying.

[Dante99]

What fun.

We got people believing things just because they were on a piece paper.

We got people believing a local newspaper quotes from a government official.

We got people thinking that what is sprayed in Phuket is and was the same as what is sprayed in Chiang Mai and others thinking that the same thing is and has been for years sprayed everywhere in Thailand.

We got a person suggesting that the health department may help and he is probably correct but he forgot to specify the mental health department.

[BonnieandClyde]

A quick search came up with this.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/11/10/paraguay.pesticide.attack/

Were you informed or alerted before the spraying?

No we were not; either this time, or the five or six times they have done it in the past several years.

[masuk]

The operators here wear masks, wonder why.

Are they wearing the usual Asian mask, which is designed to keep out dust, or are they really using a mask which absorbs chemicals.?

[Dante99]

The operators here wear masks, wonder why.

Are they wearing the usual Asian mask, which is designed to keep out dust, or are they really using a mask which absorbs chemicals.?

The guys I saw were wearing masks that looked like WWII gas masks but they were orange with green fittings. Covered nose mouth and eyes with big cylinders for canisters on each cheek. One guy even had carrots in his ears. They were great, looked like aliens.