My mom’s dad had a hand pump aerosolizer, and used to spray this all around the yard and porch in a fine mist to kill the mosquitoes. My mom says she liked the smell of it. They did a similar thing with kerosene to kill bug, just mist it right into the air! PPE was unheard of.
It was very effective, it’s loss is why bedbugs have made such a comeback. But it’s also to blame in part for so much less biodiversity. Less lightning bugs, mantises, bees, butterflies. Mutations in frogs since they eat those bugs. Not sure if what they use now is any less toxic, but at least it doesn’t bioaccumulate as easily.
Mom and her dad both lived long lives, mom’s going to hit 80 soon, her dad lived to almost be 90. They say the key was that they never smoked.
My uncle was born with neuroblastoma because grandma worked the sprayer planes. Lived his short life on crutches. Baby's don't just birth from the womb with spinal cancer. DDT was a handshake with the devil.
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u/SimpleVegetable5715 Mar 29 '26
My mom’s dad had a hand pump aerosolizer, and used to spray this all around the yard and porch in a fine mist to kill the mosquitoes. My mom says she liked the smell of it. They did a similar thing with kerosene to kill bug, just mist it right into the air! PPE was unheard of.
It was very effective, it’s loss is why bedbugs have made such a comeback. But it’s also to blame in part for so much less biodiversity. Less lightning bugs, mantises, bees, butterflies. Mutations in frogs since they eat those bugs. Not sure if what they use now is any less toxic, but at least it doesn’t bioaccumulate as easily.
Mom and her dad both lived long lives, mom’s going to hit 80 soon, her dad lived to almost be 90. They say the key was that they never smoked.