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Surveillance

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Salt Marsh Surveillance

Dipping
In this image, an employee of the Office of Mosquito Control is "dipping", checking a culvert for signs of mosquito breeding.

A helicopter is used to inspect otherwise inaccessible mosquito breeding areas on Atlantic County's 40,000 acres of tidal salt marsh. This improves the training, targeting and effectiveness of pesticide application to control mosquitoes.

Through an aggressive surveillance program the county concentrates on controlling mosquitoes in their larval, or aquatic stage, prior to their emergence and dispersal as adults in search of a blood meal. In this stage the control agent, either a chemical or biological insecticide, or mosquito predacious fish is applied directly to the source of the mosquitoes.

Complaints from the Public

An important part of the surveillance aspect of the county's mosquito control program are complaints from the public. When complaints are received specific questions are asked, such as "what time are the mosquitoes biting the most?" or "are there any known bodies of standing water near-by?". Results of these and other questions help the inspector locate the source of the mosquitoes, which can then be controlled using the best control alternative, depending on the specific situation.

Email the Mosquito Control Unit

Larval Surveillance

Larval surveillance
Larval surveillance involves sampling a wide range of aquatic habitats for the presence of pest species during their developmental stages. Atlantic County has a team of inspectors that collect larval specimens on a regular basis.

A mosquito identification specialist normally has the task of identifying the various larval species. Properly trained mosquito identification specialists can separate mosquito species that cause nuisance and disease from those that are non-pests or beneficial species.

Responsible control programs target pest populations for control and avoid managing habitat that supports benign species.

Adult Surveillance

Adult surveillance measures mosquito populations that have successfully developed and emerged from aquatic habitats. The New Jersey light trap has been the standard for collecting adult mosquitoes. Most county agencies operate these traps from early May through October. Portable traps bailed with carbon dioxide are useful in areas where electricity is not available.

Adult surveillance
Not all mosquitoes are attracted to light; therefore, other forms of adult surveillance are frequently employed. In certain areas, landing rates' or 'bite counts' are used to assess the comparative size of host seeking mosquito populations.

Resting boxes are used to measure populations of Culiseta melanura, a bird-feeding mosquito that functions in the amplification of eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus. Gravid traps are employed to measure Culex mosquitoes that amplify St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) virus and West Nile virus. (WNV)

Disease Surveillance

Since 1975, the State Mosquito Control Commission has funded a virus surveillance program that measures the size of disease-carrying mosquito populations during the summer season. Specimens are tested for virus on a weekly basis.

Mosquito collections are made at permanent study sites by staff from the Nev Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (NJAES). A wide range of assistance and support is provided by local mosquito control agencies in this effort. Mosquitoes are tested for virus at the NJDHSS laboratories by immunoflourescent antibody (IFA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.