Three years' observation on side effects of helicopter applications of insecticides used to exterminate Glossina A species in Nigeria

In three successive years from 1974 onwards observations were made on the possible side effects of helicopter applications of dieldrin and endosulfan in a number of Northern Guinea savanna zone habitats in Nigeria. In one of the areas a comparison could be made with discriminative handspray applications of endosulfan and DDT. An account is given of the acute effects on non-target species. Before, and at various intervals after, spraying a population census was made of a number of selected bird species. Certain species of fringe forest birds such as various flycatcher species appeared to be very vulnerable and either were not recorded any more or became extremely rare in the areas treated. It appears that the groundspray procedures used in Nigeria are more discriminative-and therefore less likely to cause irreversible damage-than helicopter applications at comparable dose-rate. © 1978.