Aerial War Against Bird-Killing Mosquitoes on Kaua‘I and Maui
Aug. 30, 2024 - An airborne war against avian-malaria-spreading mosquitoes is actively underway on Kaua‘i, and on Maui.
BTi, short for the larvicide Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis, is a bacterium naturally occurring in soils and waterways. The beauty of using BTi to suppress populations of the species of mosquito that carries avian malaria is that it is harmless to other creatures, including people.
“It won’t affect any vertebrates like fish or birds, or your dog or your pig, or even you if you happen to drink water that this bacterium is found in,” explains Dr. Lisa ‘Cali’ Crampton, project manager for the Kaua‘i Forest Bird Recovery Project (KFBRP).