Mosquito Season Ramps Up For 2019, Morris Co. Shares Safety Tips

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — Summertime means warm sunny weather, days off, and plenty of fun... but it also means mosquitoes. Morris County can be prime breeding ground for the pest, and county officials are asking residents to take preventative measures.

Over the past few months, county mosquito control teams have targeted swampy, marshy areas to eliminate prime mosquito breeding grounds. They say it's a good start, but prevention needs to start in your own backyard.

Residents should always drain stagnant water in their yard, including water that gets stuck in planters, toys, birdbaths, tarps, old tires and gutters. A particularly aggressive mosquito, the Asian Tiger kind, is known to breed in spots with even a tiny bit of water, said Morris County Mosquito Division Superintendent Kristian McMorland. That variety of mosquito will bite all day long (as opposed to other kinds that only come out at dusk), and transmits viral diseases.

Even a little bit of water can cause a serious problem. For example, a single soda cap of water can breed 200 mosquitoes a week, officials said.

For residents with pools, they should have been opened by Memorial Day and maintained throughout the season. If you're not planning on opening the pool, it should be closed tight to avoid becoming a breeding ground.

"We understand the problems mosquitoes can cause in the day-to-day lives of county residents, especially those living near major wetlands. So, our county mosquito control teams work year-round to deal with major mosquito breeding grounds," said Morris County Freeholder Stephen Shaw.

"We can use the public’s help," said Morris County Mosquito Division Superintendent Kristian McMorland. If everyone would take steps around their own homes to eliminate standing water, it could reduce the number of mosquitoes by many hundreds of thousands, if not millions, where you live."

Mosquitoes don't just cause itchy bites. The bugs can transmit West Nile Virus, Eastern equine and St. Louis encephalitis when they bite.

Here are some more steps you can take to avoid mosquitoes:

• At least once a week, empty water from flowerpots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels, and cans.
• Check for clogged rain gutters and clean them out.
• Recycle discarded tires, and remove other items that could collect water.
• Be sure to check for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your home.
• Drill holes in the bottom and elevate recycling containers that are left outdoors.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish like fathead minnows. Water gardens are fashionable but become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, including those that are not being used. An untended swimming pool can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints.
• Be aware mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on pool covers.
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers that have accumulated on your property.