This web site gives you extensive information about the safety of the pesticide (Foray 48B) that is used to eradicate gypsy moths in Washington. Most of this information cannot be found on the Department of Agriculture's (WSDA) website. They insist there are no significant health, safety, or environmental problems caused by this pesticide (despite mounting evidence and worry in the scientific community), so they will not give you any methods to protect yourself or your family.

There will be at least three sprayings. If the spray is aerial, it will be done by helicopter. The helicopter will fly very low, about 100-150 feet off the ground, spraying a mist of Foray 48B. This will be done sometime between 5am and 7am in the morning.

If the spraying is from the ground, spray trucks will come to your area during the work day. The applicators will come onto your property and thoroughly spray all vegetation, including any vegetable gardens. If a garden is covered, they will tear off the covering to get access. If there are higher bushes or trees, they will use nozzles that can produce up to a 50 ft. stream. Some fine mist will be produced and drift around the neighborhood as well as infiltrate your house; the drift will not be as far as with an aerial application.

To avoid the spray, you should be out of the area before the helicopter or spray trucks show up. Close all openings in your dwelling. The spray is in the form of microscopic particles, so it may stay in the air for many hours. It is probably safe to return 12 hours later, but some pesticide will have been trapped in your home (even though it was closed up - this has been shown by studies discussed elsewhere on this site), so open all doors and windows to air it out first.

To find out when the sprayings will happen, you must call the WSDA at 1-800-443-6684. Tell them you want to be notified the day before each spraying.

Aerial spray will drift out of the spray zone (see 2006 map for Capitol Hill) for at least 1/2 mile, and maybe farther depending on the winds. If the wind is blowing in your direction, a fair amount of spray may be in the air even a mile away.

What You Can Do to Stop Spraying

  • Most important - call or email your state Representatives and Senator. Find their contact information by going to  http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature/, and typing in your address in the District Finder. Tell them you are really distressed about how the WSDA is handling this, that there is no good information available about how to protect yourself and your family, and that there is no need for this spraying anyway - they could have used a nontoxic substitute or sprayed a much smaller area. It just takes a few minutes, and this is the only way to create momentum to put the brakes on this overraction.
  • Write letters to the editor of the local papers.
  • Call your neighborhood papers and TV stations and ask them why they didn't provide balanced coverage on this issue.
  • Call the Governor's office at 1-360-902-4111, and tell her that she made a bad mistake authorizing a spraying which is not supported by science and exposed a lot of people to a possibly toxic pesticide.
  • Put out a yard sign to show your disapproval of spraying. Email No Spray Zone and we will get you a sign.
  • Donate to No Spray Zone to cover our costs for research, printing signs and flyers, and maintaining the web site.

What to Do If You Think You Have Gotten Ill from the Spray

The spray could cause some health problems immediately. Some likely ones might be:

  • Bronchitis or exacerbated asthma
  • Severe diarrhea within a few days
  • Unusual skin rashes
  • Sore throat
  • Headaches

First, email No Spray Zone and briefly describe your symptoms.
Second, call Barb Morrissey at the State Dept. of Health at 1-888-586-9427 and report your problems.