SOUTH MIAMI, Fla. – South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard wants to protect butterflies such as such as the Atala butterfly, the Monarch butterfly and the Schaus Swallowtail butterfly.
To do so, he wants to get county officials from the mosquito control division to stop spraying pesticide. He recently sent a letter to mayors from other municipalities asking them to join his effort. And with a new "wildlife sanctuary" designation, he hopes to have the upper hand.
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade County officials said the insecticide does not harm butterflies and other animals, but it does help prevent mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and chickungunya.
Stoddard, a Florida International University biology professor, was not convinced. In the letter, he advised that residents should resort to "old-fashioned water control." And he warned that the "evolution of insecticide resistance by mosquitoes is just one consequence of overuse."