The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
photo courtesy of the Village of Ridgewood
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Village of Ridgewood is once again promoting Slow Mow May .The goal of Slow Mow May is to embrace a two-week mowing regime (and forego chemicals for the entire month), which supports the greatest abundance of bees by creating habitat and food sources for early-season pollinators. It’s a small but important step toward making our yards more natural, environmentally friendly and healthier for people, pets and pollinators.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, “No Mow May” is an initiative where Ridgewood residents do not mow their lawns in May in order to preserve the habitats of many insects and bees, and to promote conversations about the environment. The optimal time to leave grass uncut for the benefit of bees and other pollinators is during the month of May.
Continue reading “No Mow May” Does it Really Do Anything or Just More “Yard Sign Environmentalism” ?
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, As New Jersey enters the peak of West Nile Virus (WNV) season, the New Jersey Department of Health and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are urging residents to take precautions to protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases by taking simple steps to reduce populations of the insect on their properties.
New Jersey now has two human cases of WNV. The first case was found in a male in his 40s from Essex County, which was reported earlier this month. A second case was confirmed in a male in his 70s from Monmouth County.
July 6,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, You don’t need citronella candles, DEET spray, or any wonky hacks to keep nasty mosquitoes away from you. The simple solution to repelling these bugs is an electric fan. Yes ,according to the American Mosquito Control Association a large fan on your deck would work because mosquitoes are weak fliers.
The fan will create a windstorm which should provide enough of a gust to keep bugs away. Plus, fans help dissipate the carbon dioxide you exhale and reduce body heat, both of which have been found to attract mosquitoes.
The New York Times also reports that a fan’s breeze “disperses the human emanations that allow female mosquitos [the gender that bites us] to zero in on us.” Entomologists from Michigan State University found that fan-generated wind greatly reduces mosquitoes and they recommend we use it in our backyards to protect ourselves and our pets.
May 16,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, The Bergen County Mosquito Control Division provides for the safety of the community by controlling the population of mosquitos in Bergen County.
The Bergen County Mosquito Control Division, founded in 1914, has the goal of reducing the number of nuisance and disease-transmitting mosquitos within the county. The division employs numerous field-tested techniques in its efforts to control mosquito outbreaks and the insects’ impact on Bergen’s residents. All of this work is done with minimal impact on the environment. The program can be summarized as follows:
Water Management – When assistance is requested from municipalities, this division will carry out extensive efforts to remove blockages from Bergen County waterways and to maintain drainage systems as required. Such work is done carefully, with the potential impact on the environment in mind. This program helps to reduce the use on insecticides needed to control mosquitos.
Larval Control – Mosquitos all start out in water, as larvae, or “wrigglers”. In areas where water management is not feasible, larval control is necessary. Some locations are suitable for stocking with mosquito eating fish, which provide continuous biological control of mosquitos. In other areas, larvicides may be used to eliminate mosquitos. We choose only low-impact products for this purpose, and these products are distributed by our trained staff. Locations receive treatment only when surveys show that large numbers of mosquitos are a threat to populated regions. These products are put out by hand crews, by light ground equipment or by helicopter. Larval habitats are treated only when larvae are present.
Adult Control – Although this is the most visible aspect of mosquito control, the division considers this to be the last resort. We try to halt mosquitos before they are out and airborne. When adult control is needed because of severe mosquito infestation, we generally use truck-mounted sprayers which distribute a prescribed amount of material per acre. Sometimes, small hand sprayers are used to treat remote locations.
Bergen County
Mr. Peter Pluchino, Director
Bergen County Division of Mosquito Control
Department of Public Works
220 East Ridgewood Avenue
Paramus, NJ 07652
TEL: (201) 634-2880, 2881
FAX: (201) 599-2888
Email: PPluchino@co.bergen.nj.us
