THE CITY WANTED TO SPRAY CITRUS TREES WITH PESTICIDE

[Carol S]

Today the city wanted to spray my citrus trees as there is some kind of beetle infestation attacking citrus trees in the city. The city workers were in the back yard with my husband when I went flying outside. I told them that I did not want my citrus trees sprayed as I knew the spray would float in the wind and land on everything in my backyard and in all of my enclosures and could make my tortoises sick and. It would land on my grapevines, hibiscus plants and all the weeds that I am growing for my tortoises. They were very nice and said that I could refuse to have it done. They said that it did not poison the citrus fruit; just wash it thoroughly; however, I was not willing to even consider taking a chance of having it sprayed around my tortoises and/or their food source.

Does anyone know if this would harm a tortoise and/or their food sources?

 

[wellington]

All I can say is I wouldn't trust them when they say it's safe. I know people that trusted the pesticide and yard fertilizer people and found dead animals and birds in their yards after it was treated. You did the right thing and don't ever take the chance.

 

[Rue]

It all depends. What product were they using?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Years ago there where state workers that came on to private property....mine included and cut down citrus trees that they deemed to have citrus "canker".
It was a crock. I never got reimbursed either....
Came home from work to find the locked gate on my fence broken and four lime trees missing.
Release the hounds on them.

 

[naturalman91]

don't risk it most of the time the person spraying is just following orders and doesn't know exactly what they're spraying.


Years ago there where state workers that came on to private property....mine included and cut down citrus trees that they deemed to have citrus "canker".
It was a crock. I never got reimbursed either....
Came home from work to find the locked gate on my fence broken and four lime trees missing.
Release the hounds on them.

man i would have threaten to get a attorney involved just for the simple fact of breaking and entering. your property your rules.

 

[Yvonne G]

Today the city wanted to spray my citrus trees as there is some kind of beetle infestation attacking citrus trees in the city. The city workers were in the back yard with my husband when I went flying outside. I told them that I did not want my citrus trees sprayed as I knew the spray would float in the wind and land on everything in my backyard and in all of my enclosures and could make my tortoises sick and. It would land on my grapevines, hibiscus plants and all the weeds that I am growing for my tortoises. They were very nice and said that I could refuse to have it done. They said that it did not poison the citrus fruit; just wash it thoroughly; however, I was not willing to even consider taking a chance of having it sprayed around my tortoises and/or their food source.

Does anyone know if this would harm a tortoise and/or their food sources?

I know that occasionally when we're having an exceptionally high mosquito infestation in our county the Mosquito Abatement District does flyovers spraying poison all over the whole county. They swear it doesn't harm grazing animals, and I haven't lost any tortoise to mysterious death.