Questions about permethrin

Information and questions are emerging on the long-term safety and effectiveness of the tickicide permethrin.

Many more studies on the subject are being published, according to Councilman Jim Colligan, who is Town Board liaison to the Deer & Tick Committee, which met March 2.

Mr. Colligan pointed to work being done by Ilia Rochlin and Moses Cucura of the Suffolk County Public Works Department Division of Vector Control. He speculated their work could provide more information on tick-borne diseases.

Marc Wein joined the discussion by touting additional studies about permethrin, noting he’s not asking the town to abandon its use of 4-poster units that apply the tickicide to deer. But he offered information he said showed that if the long-term use of permethrin results in genetic mutations, the program could “run the risk of creating a very healthy group of ticks” that could be immune to the tickicide.

In 2008, the New York State Department of Health, while green-lighting the test studies of 4-posters on Shelter Island and Fire Island, warned hunters and others who come in contact with deer that had been exposed to permethrin to take steps to protect themselves. But there were no warnings against eating properly cooked deer meat that may have been exposed to the tickicide.

“The health risks from permethrin residues when consuming venison from deer harvested on Shelter Island would be very low or negligible,” the study concluded.

At the same time, the authors of the study anticipated ongoing tests over time to “further assess potential exposure.”

Similarly, studies of clothing treated with permethrin was deemed to be safe.

But when you fast forward to more recent studies in 2011 and 2012, concerns about safety begin to emerge, such as the DEC indicating that 4-posters shouldn’t be placed within 300 feet of dwellings or playgrounds or areas were children may play without adult supervision.

The DEC’s Bureau of Wildlife, which manages all wildlife species in the state, has remained opposed to the use of 4-posters, concerned it would result in overfeeding deer and cause the long-term effects from permethrin.

Among its conclusions was that 4-poster programs be used “as a single component of a larger, deer management program, approved by the DEC and aimed at reducing the overall abundance of deer …”