(Lindenwold, NJ) – Early Wednesday morning the Mosquito Control Commission will be in the community spraying and surveilling areas throughout Camden County. The summer weather has created an ideal environment for mosquitoes to breed.
Commissioner Jeff Nash, liaison to the Camden County Mosquito Commission, talked about being cognizant of standing water.
“To help eliminate the threat of mosquitos, homeowners should check their yard and remove any standing water,” Nash said. “Mosquitos need standing water to breed, so you can help keep them off your property by removing water from places like flowerpots and containers. This helps us reduce the pest population in your neighborhood, and it assists the efforts of the Camden County Mosquito Control Commission.”
The Camden County Mosquito Commission will be conducting ULV “spraying” operations on Wednesday, Aug. 24, between the hours of 2am-6am in the following locations:
Collingswood
20th St
Madison Ave
Knight Ave
Crestmont Terrace
Highland Ave
Garfield Ave
Crestmont Ln
Park Dr
Haddon Township
Lakeshore Dr
Cuthbert Blvd
Mansion Ave
Merrick Ave
Conard Ave
Morgan Ave
Guilford Ave
Burrwood Ave
Tatem Ave
Shady Ln
Park Dr
13th Ave
Glover Ave
Fulling Mill Ln
Sylvan Dr
The Dell
Haddonfield
Cottage Ave
Summit Ave
Centre Ave
Walnut Ave
Lakeview Ave
Park Ave
Camden
Sheridan St
Jackson St
Chase St
Louis St
Norris St
Bellmawr
Park Dr
Market St
Bergen Ave
Browning Rd
Center Ave
1st Ave
2nd Ave
Devon Ave
Cedar Ave
Pennsauken
Patterson Ln
Howard Ave
Gladwyn Ave
Union Ave
Park Ave
Githens Ave
Gloucester City
6TH St
7th St
Hunter St
8th St
Broadway
Division St
Mount Ephraim
Roosevelt Ave
Harding Ave
Baird Ave
Linwood Ave
“The commission works with the Public Health Environmental Laboratories in Trenton to verify the presence of West Nile Virus and other communicable diseases in their samples,” Nash said. “If a pool tests positive, the Mosquito Commission returns to spray the area. The sprayings take place when the mosquitoes are most active.”
The mosquito spray is not harmful to humans or pets, but you should avoid direct contact if you have respiratory concerns or are sensitive to irritants.
Residents should check their property for any object that holds water for more than a few days. All pre-adult mosquito stages (eggs, larvae, and pupae) must be in stagnant water in order to develop into adult mosquitoes.
- Swimming pools are a common problem. All pools must be checked and maintained to keep them mosquito-free. Swimming pools can breed mosquitoes within days after you stop adding chlorine or other disinfectant. Pool covers can catch rainwater and become a mosquito development site. Add a little chlorine to kill mosquitoes.
- Maintain screens to prevent adult mosquitoes from entering your home or business.
- Personal protection is strongly urged if you are outside when mosquitoes may be active—generally dawn and dusk. Insect repellants containing between 10-35% DEET are very effective, however, be sure to follow the label directions and take extra precautions with children and infants.
The Camden County Mosquito Commission suggests checking around your yard for mosquito breeding containers. The following is a checklist of tips to help eliminate mosquito breeding:
- Dispose of unnecessary containers that hold water. Containers you wish to save turn upside down or put holes in the bottom so all water drains out.
- Lift up flowerpots and dump the water from the dish underneath every week.
- Stock fish or add mosquito larvicide to ornamental ponds.
- Change water in bird baths, fountains, and animal troughs weekly.
- Screen vents to septic and other water tanks.
- Store large boats so they drain and small boats upside down. If covered, keep the tarp tight so water does not pool on top of the tarp.
- Do not dump leaves or grass clippings into a catch basin or streams.
- Do not allow water to collect on sagging tarps or awnings.
- Do not allow trashcan lids to fill with water.
- Check downspouts that are able to hold enough water to allow mosquito larvae to mature.
For more information, or to report a problem, contact the Camden County Mosquito Commission at (856) 566-2945 or skeeters@camdencounty.com.