Dr. Peter Bosak, superintendent, Department of Mosquito Control, Cape May County, checks the pond for mosquito larvae.

No, it's not true; the mosquito is not the state bird of New Jersey.

But, yes, it’s true; the deadliest animal on earth lives right here in our county. It’s not the lion, or tiger, or bear. It’s the female mosquito. There are jokes about the New Jersey mosquito being so large that it qualifies to be the state bird, but mosquitoes are no laughing matter.

While we've all experienced the itchy results of mosquito bites, these insects are more than just a nuisance. They spread many diseases and cause millions of human and animal deaths worldwide.

Malaria is the most serious disease, with over 300 million cases reported every year leading to 3,000,000 deaths. Yellow fever, types of encephalitis including Eastern Equine encephalitis, West Nile virus, and heartworms are all carried by mosquitoes.

Pets are often given preventive medication to prevent heartworms and cases of West Nile Virus (first recorded in the US in 1999) have a fairly good recovery rate. However, the major concern for Cape May County is Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
The county sees it every year in mosquitoes and birds making it a potential threat for humans and horses. Although there have been no cases of the disease in humans or horses in recent years, contracting this form of encephalitis results in brain damage or death.

The mosquito is a long-legged insect of the order Diptera, the true flies. Females have piercing mouth-parts and they must feed upon mammal blood before their eggs can develop. The males may have beaks but cannot pierce. Mosquito eggs are often laid glued together to form little rafts in stagnant water in ponds, pools, containers, and other aquatic habitats.

Mosquitoes have adapted to the extremes of climate and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Over 3,000 mosquito species have been identified.
Depending on species, female mosquitoes lay an average of 1,000 to 3,000 eggs during their lifespan of about 100 days, and most mosquitoes remain within one mile of their breeding site.

In order to reduce their threat to human health, economies, and enjoyment of mosquito-ridden areas, mosquito control is considered a vital public-health practice. While mosquitoes can probably never be completely eliminated, they can be effectively controlled.
The Cape May County Department of Mosquito Control, formerly the Cape May County Mosquito Commission, has been in existence since 1915. Cape May County is a peninsula covering 277 square miles, two-thirds of which is comprised of marsh and woodlands and these lands serve as habitat for the 45 species of mosquitoes found in the county.

Surveillance of nuisance and disease carrying mosquitoes is crucial. The department dipping stations collect larvae and pupae from the water around the county to direct control efforts.
Various devices evaluate adult populations, the species of mosquito present, how many there are, and where they appear to be headed.

Inspectors regularly answer complaints of mosquito activity phoned in by the public. Where legitimate activity is found, proper control measures are taken.
Successful control of mosquitoes is up to the professionals. No longer will you see a truck going up and down the streets spraying a fog of chemicals. Newer, environmentally friendly, methods are proving successful.

Brackish water produces the salt marsh mosquito, the number one pest in the county. Open water marsh management (OWMM) creates shallow ditches allowing water flow within marshes and connecting the marsh to a pond or canal. This network of ditches allows the mosquito habitats to drain and allows fish into mosquito habitats, where they will feed on mosquito larvae and reduce the need for pesticides.

Giving natural predators access to the larvae results in long-term mosquito control. Effective biocontrol, as it is called, includes using predatory fish such as mosquitofish, some carps, minnows and killifish. Tilapia will also consume mosquito larvae.
The Department will stock appropriate sites with mosquito eating fish and these fish are available to the public upon request for use in ornamental ponds.

There is no real proof that bats or purple martins consume enough mosquitoes to significantly control mosquito populations
Bacillus thuriengensis israeliensis (BTI), a naturally occurring bacteria, toxic to only mosquito larvae, is also used by the Department. BTI interferes with the digestion systems of mosquito larvae and the spores can be spread by hand or dropped by helicopter over large areas.

Dr. Anwar L. Bilgrami, entomologist for the Cape May County Department of Mosquito Control, is breeding a Toxorynchites mosquito. This particular mosquito does not bite humans and in its larval stage will eat the larvae of ‘bad’ mosquitoes. If sufficient numbers of this ‘good’ mosquito can be introduced into the environment, it would serve as a control agent.

Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, homeowners should carefully inspect their house and yard for standing water. Check bird baths, old tires, plastic pools, and buckets. Clear clogged gutters and repair leaks around faucets, change water in bird baths and drain puddles, swampy areas, and tree stumps.

You can better protect yourself from a mosquito’s bite by limiting outdoor activities in early morning and evening. Cover up in light colored clothing as dark colors attract mosquitoes and use a repellent, according to product directions. Deet is still the most effective but a new product on the market call BugBand is getting great reviews in Florida. It contains geraniol, a compound found in geraniums. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that oil of lemon eucalyptus may offer protection as well.
It’s important to note that the mosquito does have a purpose. It is a part of the food chain for dragonflies, damselflies, birds, herons, egrets, aquatic beetles, other insects, arthropods, and fish.

But, like ants at a picnic, it’s hard for humans to appreciate that role when we become a food source for them.
For further information about mosquito control in your neighborhood, contact the Department at 609-465-9038.