Spraying in Monmouth County After Evidence of West Nile Virus Found

Evidence of West Nile Virus in the West Belmar section of Wall Township and northern Spring Lake Heights means the county Mosquito Control Division will conduct mosquito control operations Tuesday in that area, Monmouth County announced.

Weather permitting, the Mosquito Control staff will conduct a ground spray operation on residential streets from 9:30 p.m. until midnight on Tuesday, June 28.

Which specific streets? The spraying will be done south of Belmar Boulevard between Route 35 and Route 71 in Wall Township and on residential streets north of Allaire Road between Old Mill Road and Route 71 in Spring Lake Heights.

As a precautionary measure, residents in the area scheduled for the control operation should remain inside and protect pets during the time sprayers are in the area. To further limit their exposure, residents should bring in children’s toys and pet bowls and turn off the intake fan in window air conditioners.

Spraying will not be conducted in the event of wind speeds in excess of 10 mph or inclement weather. The application will be made using truck-mounted ultra-low volume equipment dispensing a very fine mist of the pesticide Duet. Duet is a d-phenothrin/prallethrin and piperonyl butoxide based pesticide product that is used to control mosquitoes in outdoor residential and recreational areas.

West Nile Virus: What you need to know

People who become infected with WNV are most often bitten by an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected with WNV when they feed on infected birds. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to humans and other animals.

“The goal of the ground spray program is to reduce the public health risk from WNV in the area,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, liaison to the Mosquito Control division. “It is also important to remember to always wear insect repellant when outdoors, even if it is only for a few minutes.”

• When outdoors, apply insect repellent, following the label instructions – especially for use on children;
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever possible, and
• Avoid outdoor activity at peak mosquito times – dusk and dawn.

When enjoying the outdoors, whether at home or while traveling, make sure to always wear insect repellent. Repellents that contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus will help protect you and your family from both ticks and mosquitoes.

Removing all areas of standing water in and around homes and businesses will stop mosquitoes from breeding. Prior to removal, standing water can be treated with pesticides to kill mosquito larvae.

“Seven days plus standing water equals mosquitos,” said DiMaso. “Mosquitos breed where there is standing water. So, turnover any unused flower pots and outdoor toys. If you have old tires on your property, they need to be emptied of any standing water, too.”

To help residents identify ways to help reduce the mosquito population, Monmouth County has created a Mosquito Habitat Checklist which is available on www.visitmonmouth.com/mosquito.

WNV is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) most commonly spread by infected mosquitoes. WNVcan cause febrile (fever) illness, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) or meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord). WNV was first detected in North America in 1999.