Passaic County As summer draws closer, so does mosquito season and pesticide spraying to keep the population down. The following information, in question and answer format, has been furnished by Passaic County Mosquito Control about mosquito control: Q: What can the general public do to reduce mosquito incidence? A: Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, elimination of aquatic breeding sites will result in decreased mosquito population. Anything capable of holding water for four days or longer should be considered a potential mosquito habitat. Examples of artificial containers that can breed mosquitoes are: plastic wading pools, cans, recycling containers, bird baths, ornamental pools, clogged roof gutters, and tires. Passaic County Mosquito Control can offer control advice for specific situations. Individual municipalities can offer their residents advice on tire recycling. Q: Why does Passaic County Mosquito Control perform adult mosquito control (Adulticiding)? A: Passaic County Mosquito Control employs an Integrated Pest management (IPM) or Integrated Mosquito Management (IMM) approach to control mosquitoes. Education, source reduction, water management, stocking of mosquito-eating fish, and mosquito larval control are all utilized in an attempt to control mosquitoes before they reach the adult mosquito stage. Even though control of mosquitoes is generally most efficiently accomplished in the immature stages, conditions may sometimes necessitate the use of adulticides (adult mosquito control pesticides). Adult mosquito control is, and always was, a small portion of our entire mosquito control procedure and is the last resort of our program after all other methods have been attempted. Q: How is Adulticiding done? A: The technique of ULV (ultra low volume) spraying is employed using properly calibrated and serviced truck and/or all-terrain vehicle (ATV) mounted equipment under label mandated and state recommended conditions. Q: Which pesticide is utilized? A: The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers University, is the official body charged with recommending Insecticides for Mosquito Control in New Jersey. Passaic County Mosquito Control utilizes a pesticide formulation containing the active ingredient malathion, which is recommended for adulticiding in the Rutgers recommendations. This pesticide is registered for mosquito adulticiding by both the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the NJ State Department of Environmental Protection(DEP). The brand name of the pesticide currently used is Fyfanon ULV. All personnel applying pesticides are licensed by the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. Q: What are the possible acute (short-term) health effects that may occur immediately or shortly after exposure to malathion? A: Contact may possibly irritate eyes and in severe cases may cause headaches, sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Consult your physician for any health evaluations. Generally, community residents are at a much lower risk than mosquito control workers since the likelihood of becoming sick from chemicals is increased as the amount of exposure increases. This is determined by the length of time and the amount of material to which someone is exposed. The New Jersey Poison Information and Education System phone number is 1-800-222-1222. Q: How can exposure to mosquito adulticides be reduced? A: General advice when mosquito adulticiding is scheduled includes: closing windows, shutting off inward blowing fans and air conditioners, sheltering pets for their comfort, suspending outdoor activities during the treatment, and removing clothes from outdoor clotheslines. If desired, anything left outside can be rinsed with soap and water. Q: Where can more information be obtained? A: General information can be obtained and requests for service can be reported, by phoning Passaic County Mosquito Control at 973-305-5754. There is voice mail at that number so that messages may be left. The Passaic County Health Educator can be reached at 973-225-3696 and this number is also voice mail equipped. For additional information, access the following Web sites: www.state.nj.us/health www.stateni.us/dep/mosquito www.state.nj.us/agricuIture www.rci.Rutgers.edu/~insects/nimos.htm www.epa.gov/pesticides www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/insects/diseases.htm Q: Where can I find more specific information on mosquito adulticiding in Passaic County and how will I be notified of the adulticiding? A: Passaic County Mosquito Control complies with current state regulations regarding newspaper publishing of pertinent information in two newspapers (a copy of the ad is included in this packet). The newspapers designated by Freeholder resolution for Passaic County are The Record and the Herald News. When mosquito adulticiding is scheduled in Passaic County, control sites are listed on the County Web site: www.passaiccountvni.orq. at the hotline 973-881-4396, and on the County Department of Health Web site: www.pcdh.org.