From Robert Roe, Health Officer: I am not in the office so I can not answer all the questions, but the following should be helpful. The spraying/fogging is being done by the Essex County Mosquito Control due to the large populations of both culex and tiger mosquito populations. The spraying provides a quick kill of the adult mosquito population. The spray has a very short residue time of only a few hours and it is not dangerous to humans or pets. While you may want to close windows, it is not necessary. No cases of West Nile virus disease have been reported yet so far this summer, but most cases are usually found in mid to late summer. The tiger mosquitoes are the ones that bite even in broad sunny day light. Both these types of mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. In hot weather it may take only five days for a mosquito to mature from egg to larva to adult. Eliminate all stagnant water sources including tires (a favorite breeding site of the tiger mosquito), buckets and cans even as small as an empty cat food can. Unused back yard pools can be a large breeding ground. If there are further questions, please contact me at the Maplewood Health Dept. tomorrow. 973-762-8120 x4400 and healthofficer@twp.maplewood.nj.us for email.
