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Subscribe to RSSResidents in a Cumberland County, N.J., community were left wondering what caused dozens of birds to drop dead from the sky earlier this week.
Residents along Peach Drive in Millville found at least 80 dead birds -- mostly red-winged blackbirds -- on the ground, having fallen from trees and the sky.
"Crazy -- something out of a movie," said resident Michelle Cavalieri, who saw the birds fall.
The birds caused a bloody mess on roadways in the residential neighborhood.
"They’d get up and try and fly and they were out of control so they’d crash and fall again," said resident Jim Sinclair. "It was just strange."
Animal control, public health officials and other emergency crews were on the scene Tuesday morning collecting dead birds to try and figure out exactly what caused so many of them to die.
Cumberland County Public Information Officer Troy Ferus said the birds' death likely was caused by something they ate -- a granular pesticide put down legally by nearby Ingraldi Farms.
One of dozens of birds that was found dead on the ground in Millville, N.J.
"Preliminary investigation gives us the impression that.. he had problems with birds," said Ferus. "He applied for and got a permit for a product that kills birds and that’s what it seems to have been effective at doing."
Here is the county's press release on the incident:
The Department of Health reports that Monday evening Ingraldi Farms applied a granular pesticide intended and approved to cull birds, causing an unusually high volume of dead birds in the area of Ingraldi Farms and Whitemarsh Estates in Millville.
The material used; Avitrol Double Strength Corn Chops (EPA reg. # 11649-5) is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and intended to be used for bird control for Blackbirds, Brewer's Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Grackles, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Rusty Blackbird, Starlings and Yellow-Headed Blackbirds.
In the past, Ingraldi Farms has also used Avian Control (EPA reg. # 33162-1) a ready to use liquid repellent intended to be used for bird control for Geese, Gull, Pigeon, Crows, Starlings, House Sparrows, Blackbirds, Grackles and House Finches.
Ingraldi Farms is licensed through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to apply pesticides on their farms and has been working with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to alleviate the crop damage done by large flocks of birds. Remedies include auditory shock, hunting and pesticides. Ingraldi Farms has estimated a crop loss of $15,000 so far, due to the birds eating their crops.
Bird specimens have been collected and are being sent to the NJ-Department of Environmental Protection Laboratory for testing.
No one at Ingraldi Farms would talk to NBC10's Ted Greenberg when he went there for comment.
Officials say the dead birds are not toxic, but that any member of the public that encounters a dead bird should use gloves when picking it up and wash their hands thoroughly after handling and disposing of it in the trash.
But they put out a call to residents Tuesday afternoon that urged residents to remain inside "due to an odor and the death of several birds in the area."
Recently, bird kills have happened in various locations around the world -- possibly none more famous than the New Year’s Eve death of hundreds of blackbirds in Arkansas.
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Once again, $$$ trumps life. When we get to the point where vast numbers of animals need to die in order for our species to make a living, or gain more $$, then we as a species are doomed. I speak of marine mammals (Navy sonar testing), bees, birds rodents(industrial use of pesticides, herbicides, etc.), fresh water creatures(runoff of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, etc). The list is long and frightening. And while we make $$, we spread the seeds of our own destruction. Does no one realize that we humans also live on this Earth and breathe the same air and drink the same water?
Amen JoJo...the human species is on an arrogant, self-imposed-importance - fast track to doom.
And we deserve it.
Errr... a vast number of species die in record quantities every day for cash and career: Cows, pigs, lambs, etc. If we are doomed for it, it was an evolutionary issue with us being carnivores/omnivores.
Anyway, screw the birds. The use of poison probably turned a failing farm into a sustainable one. Farming is not big money.
I do JoJo and I'm so ashamed to call myself human at times. Our arrogance and demands on this earth have destroyed more than we'll ever even began to realize and we just keep killing. Someday we'll wake up and find that the earth has expelled us and with damn good reason.
Why do we need government regulations when jobs are at stake? Businesses must be free to rape and pillage the environment in the name of the almighty Dollar... that is the current GOP platform
What a really cold heartless way to solve their issues.So should a book be written and prices now be listed on all species accordingly to let people know how much each is worth? Maybe then companies can hire someone to remove the problem.Just think, how easy to count up the profits and rub the hands together in greed with dollar signs. Then when everything that is standing in man's way of progress is removed,he can gloat over how rich he is, on a barren planet, all by himself.
Life has no value and it is only measured according to how much it can earn a company money. My grandmother had a wonderful solution that so many businesses could learn from. Something passed down from generations in her ancestry. When planning a garden, always plant some extra to thank nature and provide for her other children.It is making up for taking over the space they used to get food from, to feed you family.The table won't be bare, from her children starving. We would call this living with nature.Mildred said feed the littlest lives and they will get all their friends to help feed you. Then she would go make a bowl of oatmeal and take it to a spot by a field for the ants. Who were never interested in her home.
Our over-consumption, wastefulness, and overall gluttonous behavior has nothing to do with us being omnivores.
The record #'s you speak of is due to factory farming (which also causes the majority of food born bacteria) and the handful of companies that make big $ off it.
While I admit the number of birds that died here is small looking at the big picture.
But also looking at the same big picture I pose a few questions.
Is it normal or natural for birds to just drop dead from the sky ?
Are there other alternatives besides poisoning these birds ?
What will happen to the humans that eat this pesticide tainted food ? Surely, well hopefully, we won't start dropping dead, but can anyone guarantee that by eating this a person won't get cancer 20 years from now ? Or have a child with birth defects or developmental issues ? No, they can give you a hypothesis, but no guarantee.
We're doomed. Pretty soon we're going to have to start cloning in order to feed the populace, either that or turn into zombies.
@thepunisher - We will turn to eating the fungus that grows on our dead...
Please pass the Soylent Green...
The point you are missing is - IF this pesticide kills birds and it is being applied to the crops that we eventually eat, wouldn't one expect to believe we are eating that same damned poison...
And consider this. IF we are infact consuming these chemicals what kind of genetic damage are we causing ourselves for our future generations. We already see increased rates of autism and adhd, downs syndrome and rises in cancer rates. COMMON SENSE tells you not to screw with what NATURE provides...
Lovely. Birds eating your crops? No problem. Just poison your crops. What could possibly go wrong?
then we eat those poison crops...YUM
We are already "PARASITES" and Zombies and maybe even a Disease. All at our own hands,We've taken GOD out of everything and are trying to become gods ourselves. And it's not going to work for long,but its all good just keep on rolling folks, getting faster and faster and faster, i promise there is a wall.
Who cares? These birds are basically oversized rats with wings.
But on the plus side, perhaps we can use them to feed the poor for a couple weeks rather than wasting money on bridge cards that allow them to shop for frozen dinners and fried foods all day. Remember, when God closes a door, he opens a window.
And you really have to love all the tree-hugging hippies that vilify the entire human race. It's called natural selection; we're the strongest species in the world, so according to the natural order of things, it would only make sense for our species to dominate all natural resources at the expense of others. Remember, all of you live in a home that was once something's habitat, you all polute, you all buy products and use energy resources that result in additional 'raping' of our planet. So until you hypocrits are willing to turn off your computers, sleep in tents and live off the land you really have no right to complain.
More signs of the return of Nibiru 12/21/12!
What a bunch of @!$%#TARDS Maybe the birds should get a permit out to reduce the population of Un humans
What does this farmer grow?
^this.
But don't worry, I hear that "Avitrol Double Strength Corn Chops (EPA reg. # 11649-5)" is perfectly safe for human consumption. The company that makes it and sells it for profit told me so...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ingraldi-Farms/123270914352704
Quick, post your comments. LOL, Ingraldi is going to take their Facebook page down at the end of the day because people are complaining about how they murdered the birds. Boo hoo! So glad I eat organic.
Sharktopussie, lol yeah I was just there reading comments.
Maybe poison, more than likely HAARP causing mass deaths of birds, dolphins, fish, amphibians, (around the world) watch the video, and it will scare the crap out of you...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SToVBicIrJU
But the in-air bird deaths aren't due to some apocalyptic plague or insidious experiment—they happen all the time, scientists say. The recent buzz, it seems, was mainly hatched by media hype.
At any given time there are "at least ten billion birds in North America ... and there could be as much as 20 billion—and almost half die each year due to natural causes," said ornithologist Greg Butcher, director of bird conservation for the National Audubon Society in Washington, D.C.
But what causes dead birds to fall from the sky en masse? The Arkansas case points to two common culprits: loud noises and crashes.
Researches find evidence that New Jersey toxic to small animals? This and more tonight on News at 10!
In the past month, I've had one of these birds fall on my windshield while driving to work and two more have died after flying straight into my first floor office window. I'm in Louisiana. And I'm looking for a better answer than this guy's pesticides...
Chemtrails................
Skeptical-350146, what major corporation do you work for?
Tom Marvolo, the companies that manufacture the poisons also view human beings as just talking rats.
Uhm not for nothing but has anyone seen the recent crop devastation resulting from the drought in the midwest? We can't afford to lose anymore crops. I'm sure you'll all be plenty concerned about money when you go to the grocery store and food is triple what it is now.
I guess the lesson is to stay away from anything like, 'Humitrol Double Strength Pork Chops'.
I guess none of you people have seen how fast these blackbirds multiply, they darken the sky around feed lots and actually eat enough of the feed that pigs, and cattle are starving from the massive flocks that invade these places. Also these flocks get so large due to man having an abundant food supply avail. They also defecate in the feed causing and spreading disease. so steps have to be taken to control their numbers. And if you read the article better it says it is a treated bait they put out it is not put on crops.
You mean he farmes don't just plo that bck into the ground at the end of the season? Sonext year, the plants will grow in the same soil?
No, don'tworry - its not being put - on - the food we eat, it just grows in soil, contaminated by the left overs.
humans everything we do is destructful nothing but fools
The things the government allows in food should be a crime its all about the end dollar not about your health
beowulf no they don't just plow it back into the ground your obviously not a farmer or you wouldn't be trying to be a smart ass the bait is put out at feed lots not Fields it is also put out outside of the pens so the livestock cant get to it but the birds can you don't farm feed lots so get a job on a farm for a while before shooting off your mouth and use spell check
Being able to poison birds just seems wrong. There should be another way to do pest control besides poisoning birds. Scarecrow? Noise? Inviting owls to nest on the farm?
Stray cats. They work cheap and do a better job.
Maybe a solution would be to contact a wildlife rehabber who has foxes or coyotes. Ask any farmer how coyotes wait on the sideline of fields during harvest time to catch all the rodents hiding in the field. They could always get two Austrailian shepards to monitor the fields instead of using pesticides. BTW organic food looks more and more appealling after reading this article.
Owls would be a possibility, unfortunately they are on the endangered list.
So much for "land management". The barbarians are inheriting the earth.
"Here in New Jersey, we poison our wildlife"
Unfortunately, the same type that wants to poison the birds, also wants to kill all of the cats, foxes, and coyotes.
The real answer is to ban the manufacture of these substances. If anyone is too ignorant as to think that is impossible, they are not familiar with the organic gardens that are in existence.
Did Snookie spread her legs? Stench would probably kill anything in the area.
Her boyfriend Jionni Lavalle, lowlife opened his mouth.
I don't think snookie has to do that, but walk by.
Maybe Christie "burped" or let out some gas.
HAHAHAHAHA - another Jersey proud beauty.
Please nobody start the "This is a sign of the Apocalypse" comments.
Aww hell, now I've started it.
Finally, someone says the truth!!! This is one of the main signs mentioned in the Apocalypse book!
:)
Well, December is just around the corner. Better start investing in an ark.
I'm hearing this time it will be fire and brimstone. Arks won't help.
I wanted to tie this in with Monsanto spreading not only the genetic modified seeds around the world, but also the pesticides filled with agent orange. Would it be appropriate to add that conspiracy here, or should I start my own?
You'll be happy to know the story made the Armageddon online site..
http://www.armageddononline.org/dead-birds-new-jersey.html
Its official now.
New Jersey sucks so bad that the birds were sucked from the sky.
Another ignorent comment Ray.
So which states make the so-called "Toxic 20" list?
Here they are, from worst to best:
Read more: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/states-worst-air-pollution-0722#ixzz23d0hx1S4
Sorry, but I lived in NJ. The air in many places stank and the water did too. The south part of the state is beautiful, but some of the air and water smell there, too. Add Superfund sites and some areas where the air is really bad and yellow or gray, and you couldn't convince me that someone who says NJ air is toxic would be considered ignorant. I've lived in several of those states listed and I agree that some aren't the best air quality, but toxic? NJ and NY both have really toxic areas...you try crossing the street with all the exhaust in NYC or driving in northern NJ especially...you will keep your windows up and it still smells.
Yes, I know toxicity isn't the same as a smell necessarily, but we lived in a pretty area of NJ in two places and couldn't open the windows for the smell, so you can disagree if you like, but thinking it is toxic there isn't ignorant.
DeweyDan - Oh, you are so right.
Jersey and New York the most polluted states in the US. What did you expect ?
Officials say the dead birds are not toxic, but that any member of the public that encounters a dead bird should use gloves when picking it up and wash their hands thoroughly after handling and disposing of it in the trash.
Maybe the company should go and clean up the mess they made.
The farmer and his workers should be forced to do a thorough cleanup.
they want you to wear gloves because wild birds carry diseases and lice among others that you shouldn't Handel. But I do agree that the company should have a responsibility to clean up the mess.
So just go pick up all of the birds, take them to Ingraldi Farms and throw them all over the property, preferably in the bushes, on the roof etc, and let them enjoy the fruits of their labor!
We humans suck!
Nipples? Wieners? Libido? Tongues? Common lady, give a dude a hint.
"Come on" not "Common" you mental midget, the only thing prove with your comment is your obvious lack of understanding on how to properly use words in the English language.
Shameful that these farms kill anything just trying to survive, and clearly can't control how many birds are killed.
Obviously, this is affecting many more species than just the 'evil' crop-seed eating birds.
It is very troublesome that our government saw fit to approve a pesticide to kill birds, for use on crops destined for human food. It is also troubling that we have allowed the government to classify birds as pests worthy of extermination.
Despite the terrible drought, crop yields are only down 13% for the year. We export massive amounts of food and we subsidize the entire farm industry. Something smells really bad here, besides the rotting birds.
been to Millville...beautiful town with a nice racetrack and older airport...nothing scary there...wierd
I grew up in the next town over from Millville. Those birds probably died of boredom!
please refer to the famous Joanie Mitchell song "Big Yellow Taxi". people should boycott the farm's products. I will once i find out what they produce.
Seems to be just a local farm with fruits and vegies. But the bad reviews have begun with people upset over this.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ingraldi-farms-millville
Not sure what it is but I am sure it wasn't organic.......
I was gonna go with Aliens, but now that I read intentional poisoning I might change my mind.
So the poison kills the birds then we are supposed to consume the crops??? Not to mention the cruelty behind poisoning the birds. It's scary that this is legal. I am going to stick with own garden.
Just a little trivia, but all of those who believe in any kind of apocalypse need to get their own gardens.
i think politicians are pests.. perhaps we should sprinkle some pesticide on their grains.. God forbid Chris "fatass" Christie wont get his hoagie.
What do U expect from New Jersey. The ARMPIT of America. I fall over dead, too.
Beats living in the south. although NJ requires at least ten teeth for residency.
Heartland??? The areas with the greatest pollution?
R. Scalzo. If u live n the SOUTH which I DON'T.Which sounds like U DO, then they r the left and right cheek's of America's A$$. With Louisiana having the a-hole.
'nuff said.
My main problem is just how many birds and other wildlife did they kill? Do they have any clue? Or do they just lay poison not caring how much is killed? And out government allows this?
One wonders what happens to other creatures that may consume these poisoned birds. One of the homeowners family cats for example or other predators that enjoy birds. There are fake owls and scarecrows that actually move to frighten birds away from the crops. Also propane cannons have been used successfully as the time between detonation of the noise of the cannon can be changed in timing so the birds don't get used to a 'constant' in the noise. There's been way too many cases of birds dying and I can't remember hearing about what was decided in those incidents. Does anyone else?
Also trained dogs like they use on airport runways they are very effective
...
My guess?
This was caused by the failed Bush policies.
...
If we allow the birds to die, then the terrorists have won!
Hey look man, either you are with us, or you are with the birds.
Birds are fallin'
Baby, so are we
The population of RWB's in the United States is estimated at 200,000,000. They will still be fine at 199,999,920 give or take a few.
Let's face it - if this farmer had imported non-native hawks or other birds of prey to "naturally" remove this species from damaging their farm, many of the people in this thread would be fawning all over them for being "environmentally correct" and in harmony with nature even if there were bird remnants all over and the hawks were indiscriminately snacking on other rarer species of bird.
Ingraldi Farms is stated to be a farmer's market-type producer of fruits and vegetables. They probably don't have another $15K to give away in free bird feed. Their employees probably don't feel like giving up their wages to feed birds. I doubt the county they are in wants to just forgive them $15K+ off their various local tax bills so a bunch of pest birds can snack away.
If something had already succeeded in taking $15K from me, was coming back for more, and I had a legal way of stopping it, I would. So would everyone else on here that acts all self-righteous about this.
Steve-1167608,
Do you by any chance own guns? Death seems to be your mind set
http://www.yelp.com/biz/ingraldi-farms-millville I left my thoughts for the company. Anyone else?
Nope, not a gun owner. Although I do support the 2nd. Amendment.
Also happen to support a company that LEGALLY followed what were no doubt byzantine rules and regulations to get a product to get rid of a pest. To paraphrase that old philosopher's conundrum, I doubt anyone would have heard about these birds if they had fallen dead in an unpopulated forest...
You can bet this farm is not the first or last farm to do this. NJ did not write special rules and regulations and procedures for just these people.
I feel bad for this farm that they were singled out and ended up on national news and now have people knocking them on their website for following the law. I could understand it if they were using an illegal chemical or such, but everything about them in the article says they are following the law to the letter.
Right. And that's why we have laws that restrict what they can do. Because otherwise we'd have DDT all over our food...and god know what kind of poison they'd be using on rodents and birds. Yeah, their crop yields would be huge...and the people eating their food would probably lose a years off their life. But what's a few years off someone else's life compared to increasing profits...not a thing to the farmer...or the companies that have a financial interest in the warm.
Reminds me of Revelation in the bible. End times?
You know...people having been seeing signs of the "end times" for millennia. What makes you think this is it now?
One can only hope.
Steve you are correct. And the best part is that importing non-native species to take care of a problem doesn't always work and sometimes creates new issues as well. An example is the importing of mongoose to help with the rodent problem in Hawaii. Unfortunately they fed during the day while rodents were active at night...as a result they eat more native birds, eggs of turtles and ground nesting birds, etc. and did nothing to control rodents. While I would certainly prefer that the pesticide not be on the food that will be consumed by humans I have no problem with controlling the population of birds. Its done with pigeons around the country. Population control due to excessive food and an imbalance in natural predators. Better that than have them overrun multiple farms...because after they put this farm out of business they will just move on to the next.
Did the birds go swimming and get stabbed by needles?
It's the 'Happening' except this time for animals........