Take a Role in Controlling Mosquitoes

Summertime is when many of us spend more time outside enjoying outdoor activities with our friends and families. Whether you enjoy eating outside on your deck/patio, bike riding, badminton or catching fireflies with your kids, we are all outside more in the summer months than any other time of year. Unfortunately, so are mosquitoes!  Mosquitoes are mainly a nuisance that can make us uncomfortable with their itchy bites. They can, however, be the transmitters of serious diseases to both man and animals.

The newest mosquito born disease that we have been hearing about is the ZiKa virus. This virus is transmitted by a specific, tropical, urban dwelling mosquito, the Aedes aegypti. The Aedes aegypti has been found in New Jersey in very SMALL numbers and it  is unlikely thqat the mosquito will establish itself in our state due to our climate. Locally transmitted cases of Zika by mosquitoes have not been identified in the United States.   The NJ DEP’s Office of Mosquito Control Coordination has a great web site for information on mosquito control, West Nile Virus and the Zika Virus at www.state.nj.us/dep/mosquito/links . and  http://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/advisories/2016-07.pdf.

The most effective way to reduce the mosquito population is to eliminate their breeding grounds- which is standing water. Mosquitoes are container breeders, which mean they prefer to lay their eggs in buckets, tires, saucers under potted plants, even a bottle cap! Look around your yard for anything that holds water. Bird baths should be emptied at least once a week.  If you have something that cannot be drained such as an ornamental pond, you can purchase a biological larvicide (which is not hazardous to humans or other wildlife) which is available in hardware stores or home and garden centers.

Last modified: July 8, 2016