In anticipation of the holiday and the upcoming summer months, the Camden County Mosquito Commission regularly checks several thousand suspected mosquito breeding sites across the county. Spraying is scheduled on an as needed basis based upon the results of their surveillance efforts.
“As the weather starts to get hot and sticky, remember to check your yard for standing water and eliminate any areas where mosquitoes can thrive,” said freeholder Jeffrey Nash, liaison to the Camden County Mosquito Commission. “This simple act can help reduce the mosquito population in your neighborhood.”
The Camden County Mosquito Commission will conduct spraying on May 29 from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m., weather permitting, in the following locations in Cherry Hill Township:
Gregory Lane
Crooked Lane
Dean Lane
Hillcroft Lane
Fountain Court
Olde Springs Lane
Old Salen Road
Brookdale Drive
Kingswood Court
Deer Road
Doe Lane
Greenvale Road
Hart Road
Park Road
Wade Drive
Clark Drive
Carlton Road
Logan Drive
Holden Road
Howard Road
Ranoldo Terrace
Johns Road
Kingston Drive
Chelten Pkwy
Bruce Road
Frontage Road
Church Road
Lake Drive East
Lake Drive West
Washington Avenue
Coolidge Road
Kennebec Road
Columbia Blvd
Liberty Lane
Whitby Road
Village Drive
Oakley Drive
Doncaster Road
St. Marys Drive
Kresson Road
Springdale Road
Charlann Circle
Cardinal Lane
Cardinal Lake Drive
Ticonderoga Lane
Lark Lane
Francine Drive
Owl Court
Owl Lane
Swallow Drive
Annapolis Lane
Willard Avenue
Haddonfield-Berlin Road
Coleman Avenue
Tavistock Road
McPhelin Avenue
Ponds Court
Tavistock Road
Cherry Hill West High School
Chambers Avenue
Wynnwood Avenue
Warren Avenue
Fulton Street
Sherwood Avenue
Mercer Street
Severn Avenue
Murray Avenue
Dover Street
Graham Avenue
Hollis Avenue
Martin Avenue
Hanover Avenue
Chapel Avenue West
Cooper Landing Road
“Our county mosquito 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 for West Nile Virus 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.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the main route of human infection with West Nile Virus is through the bite of a mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected when they feed on infected birds. Individuals over the age of 50 are more likely to develop serious symptoms of West Nile Virus, and should take special care to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
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.
“The commission encourages residents to continue to safeguard against these pests,” Nash said. “While the chance of becoming ill is relatively small, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your family.”
For more information, or to report a problem, contact the Camden County Mosquito Commission at (856) 566–2945 or skeeters@camdencounty.com.
