Pesticides Taking A Toll On LI Turtles, Rescue Group Says

JAMESPORT, NY — Along with facing dangers on Long Island roadways, turtles are also threatened by pesticides used on area lawns, according to Karen Testa, executive director of Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons.

Chemicals used to treat lawns are "taking a toll on the turtle population of Long Island," Testa said, mainly in the form of aural, or ear, abscesses caused by bacterial or viral infections.

Of the 93 turtles currently under Testa's care at the facility, half have been diagnosed with aural abscesses, she said.

“We are seeing a staggering number of aural abscesses in the turtles that are being brought in to our center. These injuries are adversely affecting wildlife and it’s worse this year. Because of Covid and spending more time at home, homeowners are spraying toxins on their lawns. These chemicals are poisoning our turtles and at the same time, damaging our ecosystem," Testa said.

Aural abscesses begin when chemicals irritate the turtle’s temporal membrane and the body forms an abscess, Testa said.

"They get as large as golf balls on their small heads and are extremely painful. Affected turtles need medical intervention to relieve the pain, remove and/or drain the abscesses and to go on an antibiotic regimen," she said.

Testa called on homeowners and landscape companies to "dramatically reduce" the amount of pesticides applied; she also and encouraged the use of natural, organic alternatives.

The cost of treating the abscesses is daunting, Testa added: In June, lab bills to culture each abscess and provide antibiotics for the turtles were more than $1,000.

The toxins can build up in turtles and block vitamin A receptors; vitamin A is responsible for the health of the respiratory tract and lining of the inner ear, Testa said.

"I’m urging Long Islanders to think about how these pesticides are negatively impacting the natural world. Is your perfect green lawn worth the life of a turtle?” Testa asked

At the turtle rescue facility, around 190 turtles are rehabilitated every year; many are brought in by residents who've rescued turtles that have been injured by cars, animals, lawnmowers, construction, wildlife, pets, boats, chemical poisonings, window well entrapments, crab trap drownings, and entanglements in both balloons and fishing gear.

But pesticides also pose a threat, Testa said.

“Environmental factors also adversely impact turtles on Long Island. They are close to the ground so whatever fertilizers and pesticides are in our soil and water affect them. They are the most endangered organisms in the world."

Testa and her team have rehabilitated 1,500 turtles over the past nine years and released them into the wild.

Turtles are most active at dawn and dusk from April through October. "They are protected by our state so please get help ASAP if an injured turtle is found," Testa said.