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We think of malaria as a problem of Third World countries, but I know one “developed” nation where malaria has been in the past, and could be again, a major killer. That nation is the United States of America.

Rather than argue about Rachel Carson or DDT I would say that we currently have biological agents that can be used against mosquitoes Bacillus T, Isreali-discovered by an Isreali scientist is used against malaria mosquitoes. BT has been used since the 60s against Cabbage loopers—my father used it. It works. An added advantage to this type of approach is that these bacteria can reproduce and increase as long as there are mosquito larva to fee on. DDT does not replicate itself.

Parasitic nematodes are another example of a biological control, and can be used to control cricket and grasshopper larva, and many grubs in the lawn and in trees.

If you want to control dandelions and many lawn weeds you can support US farmers and use corn meal gluten (a by- product of corn syrup production.) We have more options than to just pay Dow Chemical or Chevron to nuke all the bugs in your quarter section.

On the other hand, we have bees dying off. Is this some new pesticide or microwave radiation? Pesticide—like DDT—does not discriminate between “Bad” and “Good” insects. Kills the pollinators and non pollinators, and good predators of bad insects. Cant answer whether bees are dying as a result of pesticides, but if we lose the bees we have a big problem. Hard to pollinate 1500 acres of tomatoes by hand.