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Index of Subjects Jim Wolford wrote: > >Study: West Nile virus decimates suburban birds > >By SETH BORENSTEIN > >WASHINGTON < Birds that once flourished in suburban skies, including robins, >bluebirds and crows, have been devastated by West Nile virus, a study found. > Dear All, May 17, 2007 It is not entirely clear form this article, whether these birds that happen to be characteristic of suburbia are more affected than other species or whether these birds are more affected in surburbia than they are elsewhere. I suspect the latter because storm drain cisterns in surburbia, to judge from nearby ones, can be ideal incubators for mosquitos as opposed to similar cisterns in heavy traffic areas where oil slicks are more likely. [The water in cisterns, that lies below the level of the outlet, drains very slowly if fine soil is present because soil structure slakes on prolonged exposure to water and water channels become very narrow and tortuous. Thus mud puddles, ponds and lakes tend not to leak.] I think some studes of cistern biology might be interesting and could lead to good control of surburban mosquitoes without squirting DDT, or equivalent, over everything 4 or 5 times a month; the latter being likely if people get frantic when West Nile builds up. To stimulate some thought on this, and perhaps some informed feedback, an excerpt of an e-mail that I sent to our Head of Town Public Works (Hal Henderson; Feb 6, 2007) is pasted below. START OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I may have mentioned this previously but I have wondered for years why nobody has devised storm drains that don't act as mosquito habitat. With West Nile coming along, homeowners are told to dispose of possible habitat such as old tires, tin cans etc but with storm drains providing ideal mosquito habitat this is just more wheel spinning. The problem can be partitioned into three parts: (1) control of mosquito larvae (2) maintaining the control conditions over time and (3) getting regulatory approval for the control procedure. Both nos 1 & 2 are relatively easy I think, i.e. (1) an oil film for control, (2) an outlet fitted with an elbow that faces downward into the cistern and that in addition has an air hole on the upper side (or a downrunning extension) to prevent any chance of siphoning. Regulatory approval (3) could be difficult, I don't know, but a small test re 1 & 2 would be interesting and might lead to something, like fewer mosquitos in urban settings. END OF PASTE\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ Well worthwhile I would think even if it only led to fewer bug zappers. Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville
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