WARREN COUNTY, NJ – The Warren County Mosquito Commission has announced that it will be spraying against mosquitoes Monday night, weather permitting, in parts of Hope Township, White Township, Frelinghuysen Township, and Allamuchy Township.
The mosquito spraying will go on from 6:20 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. on Monday, September 27 with a rain date of Tuesday, September 28.
The following areas are scheduled to be treated:
- Hope: Hope Bridgeville Rd. (CR 519), Lake Just It Rd., Swayze Mill Rd., Swayze Mill Park, Kostenbader Rd., Ridgeway Ave., Smith St., Green St., Lakeview Ave., Blair St., Lakeview Dr., and Main St.
- White: Hope Crossing Rd., N. Bridgeville Rd. (CR 519), and Rutherford Dr.
- Frelinghuysen: State Park Rd., Heller Rd., Hope Johnsonburg Rd. (CR 519), and Lincoln Laurel Rd.
- Allamuchy: Johnsonburg Rd. (CR 612).
So far this year, positive mosquito samples for the West Nile Virus have been found in Belvidere (2), Franklin Township (2), Greenwich Township (1), Hackettstown (3), Harmony Township (2), Hope Township (2), Independence Township (2), Liberty Township (1), Phillipsburg (2), Pohatcong Township (2), and Washington Township (5), according to the commission.
The commission works conscientiously to prevent populations of biting adult mosquitoes by focusing control during larval stages so that the mosquitoes will not make it to the adult stage. Occasionally however, the need arises in which use of an additional method of control targeting the adult biting mosquitoes, called adulticiding, is used. When adult mosquitoes are present, no other type of control method performed by the Commission will work. Residents can limit exposure to biting adult mosquitoes through the use of repellents or by avoiding the outdoors completely.
Adulticiding targets adult mosquitoes as they are flying in a specific area. Prior to adulticiding taking place, a number of factors are considered related to the number and types(s) of mosquitoes present. These factors include but may not be limited to:
- Number of complaint calls generated by the public (which are verified to be caused by adult mosquitoes), and/or
- The level of human activity in a given area (for instance the human population in an area or whether athletic fields are nearby) , and/or
- Landing Rates and/or portable light trap collections performed by Commission staff at the complaint call sites, and/or
- Adult mosquito populations identified through the Commission’s routine adult mosquito surveillance program, and/or
- Adult mosquitoes noted by staff members during regular inspections within the county, and/or
- Adult mosquitoes collected during our routine disease surveillance program, especially if and when any mosquitoes tested are positive for a mosquito borne virus, and/or
- The presence of horses or other animals (such as birds) in the area that might be susceptible to infection from mosquito-borne diseases, and/or
- An indication that horses or other animals have tested positive for a mosquito-borne disease in a given area.
When adulticiding is determined to be an appropriate course of action, a truck mounted ULV (ultra low volume) sprayer is used that disperses a very fine mist made up of a small amount of insecticide.
Adulticiding is performed when the adult mosquitoes are flying, which is usually near dusk or after dark but can be in the early morning or even in the afternoon, depending on the mosquito species being targeted. While most mosquitoes are active at dawn and dusk, some mosquitoes fly in broad daylight and others wait until it is fully dark.
There are environmental variables that must also be taken into consideration in order for adulticiding to take place, these include: temperature (no spraying is done if it is too hot or too cold); wind speed (while some drift is necessary to have the spray impact the mosquitoes, conditions that are too windy are not effective); precipitation (no spraying takes place in heavy rain).
Information for the products currently used for adult mosquito control and measures you can take to avoid exposure to the spray can be found on the Delta Gard NJDEP Fact Sheet, the Zenivex- NJDEP Fact Sheet, the Fyfanon-NJDEP Fact Sheet or you can call the National Pesticide Information Center 1.800.858.7378 or visit their website.
For more information visit warrencountymosquito.org or call 908-453-3585 during regular business hours.
