Schramski said “even trace amounts” of pesticides have been shown to be harmful to human health and that “we don’t understand how pesticides interact with our bodies.” He said mosquito fogging is being justified as a necessary protection against West Nile virus. However, he suggested that government officials and news media are exaggerating the risk. Very few people die from West Nile compared to the number who die from lung cancer, he said.

He said about 3 million pounds of pesticides are applied in Butte County each year. Given the ineffectiveness of fogging and the danger of pyrethrins, he questioned the wisdom of adding those chemicals to the “soup” of pesticides already going into the county.

Rather, he said, districts ought to focus on “integrated pest management,” using a variety of techniques and emphasizing prevention and public education.

Ball, in a phone interview Wednesday, said his district does employ the integrated approach Schramski recommends. Fogging to kill adult mosquitoes is the last tool the district uses against insects.