Hackettstown Hatchery to Assist With Mosquito Control

Hackettstown's fish hatchery and new laboratory at Centenary College will be helping to rid parts of New Jersey of mosquitoes as the state will raise fish that feed off of mosquito larvae at the facility.

The laboratory, which opened last week under a partnership between the college and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), will breed gambusia and fathead minnows with the hatchery which will help the DEP control the mosquito population in the state, according to New Jersey Herald. Gambusias are placed in pools without inlets or outlets while fathead minnows are native to New Jersey and can be placed in streams and rivers.

The fish hatchery laboratory officially opened its doors on Thursday and will not only serve as a breeding space for these and other fish, but also as a classroom for students studying local marine species, water and soil. Centenary students in particular will be able to benefit from the knowledge of state wildlife specialists and assist with restocking efforts throughout the state.