A Message from Code Enforcement: Birds and Pesticides: Don't Mix!

Here’s one more good reason why we should avoid the use of pesticides: pesticides kill birds.

According to the American Bird Conservancy, from hummingbirds to warblers to owls and eagles and hawks, all birds are threatened by pesticides. A recent study by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology found that over the last 50 years, the United States and Canada have lost more than 3 billion of their birds. That’s a decline of 30 percent, meaning almost one in three birds have vanished since the 1970s. Pesticides are a major reason for this problem.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s question is one that we all have to ask ourselves: “Should we heed the warning signs provided by birds or continue to pay the high environmental and social costs of rampant pesticide use?” Future children and grandchildren should be able to watch cardinals and orioles fly, and eagles soar. Start with small steps. Before calling a company to have pesticides applied to the lawn, check to find more environmentally friendly ways to prevent and fight mosquitoes. Talk to city representatives to make sure that no pesticides will ever be sprayed in this town.

And always remember to prevent mosquito breeding sites, further preventing the use of pesticides. Keep checking for sources of standing water and remove them wherever possible.