For Immediate Release:
July 9, 2025

County Commissioners proclaim June 15-21
as Mosquito Control Awareness Week

FREEHOLD, NJ – The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners proclaimed the week of June 15-21 as Mosquito Control Awareness Week during their Workshop Meeting on June 26.

“Mosquitos are not only annoying pests but can carry several diseases that can make humans and other animals sick Some of the diseases include malaria, dengue fever, Zika virus, chikungunya, West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis.,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone. “The staff at the Monmouth County Division of Mosquito Control are dedicated to mitigating the impact of mosquitoes in the community and on behalf of my fellow Commissioners, I commend them for their efforts.”

The Division provides mosquito control and tick identification services to the residents of Monmouth County. Our strategy for mosquito control relies on an Integrated Pest Management approach focusing on controlling mosquito larvae versus broad control of adult mosquitoes. Much of our efforts involve source control-- reducing or eliminating the standing water where mosquito larvae flourish. Where possible, the Board works with nature to control mosquitoes by introducing fish that eat mosquito larvae or cleaning a stream to improve water flow. Our use of pesticides is based on surveillance data and follows state and federal regulations as well as recommendations provided by Rutgers University.

“West Nile virus activity peaks in mid-August and September. Residents and visitors are encouraged to protect themselves from mosquito bites by using insect repellent, wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants, limiting outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, and removing standing water from containers around the home,” said Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley, liaison to the Division of Mosquito Control. “If you're experiencing a significant mosquito problem, an inspector can visit your property, free of charge, to identify and eliminate sources of standing water that support mosquito larvae. If larvae are found, the inspector will either treat the water or, in the case of items like buckets, empty the source of sitting water.”

For news and alerts from Monmouth County, go to www.visitmonmouth.com or follow @MonmouthGovNJ on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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