July 13, 2016: Each member has a role to play in checking the breeding of mosquitoes here at the lake. Members are urged to immediately inspect, drain or bail all boats, whether stored at your lakefront property or on Club docks and boat racks, and keep them free of standing water throughout the rest of the summer.
Mosquitoes need water to survive their first two stages of development. Please check your property to be certain that you are not inadvertently increasing the mosquito population at the lake by allowing standing water to remain there. Remove standing water from boats, gutters, tires and other artificial containers like flower pots, tarps, pet dishes, children’s toys and buckets that may be on your property. If you have a bird bath, clean it out every few days to make it less hospitable to these insects.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Nile Virus is a mosquito borne disease that is on the rise in the United States. The disease is spread when a mosquito feeds on an infected bird and then bites a person. In 80 percent of the cases people do not get symptoms, but the 20 percent who do may suffer from fever, body and head aches, exhaustion, rashes and swollen lymph nodes. In rare cases the virus can lead to more serious symptoms and could result in death.
We can not escape news about the terrible dangers faced from the Zika virus. Learn more about Zika from the CDC’s comprehensive website.
According to the Sussex County Office of Mosquito Control, unattended boats throughout the county represent a continual threat for mosquito breeding, and paddle boats should receive special attention as their design easily traps water. The Office of Mosquito Control, as of Wednesday, July 13 advises that catch basins throughout the county have been treated, it is closely monitoring vacant homes, and no instances of West Nile or Zika virus have been found in the county.
Please do what you can to limit this threat in our community by eliminating the occurrence of stagnant water. If you have not done so within the past week, please check your boats to be sure they are not serving as basins for a mosquito breeding ground and walk around your property and remove water that has puddled in containers.
If you are being bitten by adult mosquitoes or suspect nearby standing water may be suitable habitat for larval mosquitoes, please call the Sussex County Office of Mosquito Control at 973-948-4545. Please report any instance of dead birds immediately to that office as well.
Jack McLaughlin
General Manager
