City of Portsmouth NH continues Mosquito & Tick Control Program

PORTSMOUTH – As the Seacoast experiences wet conditions conducive to the proliferation of mosquitoes, the City of Portsmouth is continuing its annual mosquito control program, active since April.

The program includes larval monitoring and the application of larvicide in identified risk areas, such as wetlands and salt marshes.

The City’s consultant Dragon Mosquito Control, Inc. is not recommending any other treatment, such as spraying for adult mosquitoes. They indicate that larvicidal control is the most effective means of controlling mosquitoes.
On the threat of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), Dragon’s spokesperson Sarah MacGregor notes, “There’s the potential of more EEE activity this season due to the major outbreak in New England last year. This part of the country continues to see equine and/or human cases every year. Risk factors for EEE include significant disease detected in the previous mosquito season, mild winters, above average rainfall and a high water table. We’ll keep monitoring mosquitoes, reducing their numbers and tracking other contributing factors as the summer progresses.”
She added that in June, Dragon crews focus on catch basins, salt marshes and other larval habitats that produce a second batch of mosquitoes. “Catch basin treatments target mosquitoes that spread West Nile Virus,” she says. “We continue to use Natular, an organic product listed for use in and around organic food production. Natular meets the highest standards for environmental stewardship.”
The best way to prevent infection from EEE and other mosquito-borne illnesses such as Jamestown Canyon Virus and West Nile Virus is to prevent mosquito bites by using an EPA approved mosquito repellent, avoiding exposure at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active, and covering exposed skin with long pants and long sleeves. More information on choosing a repellent and using repellents safely is available on the EPA’s website at epa.gov/insect-repellents. 

Home and business owners should remove standing water where mosquitoes breed such as wheelbarrows, buckets, trash barrels, tarps, boats, canoes, and other containers. Check that screens on windows and doors fit tightly and have no holes that would allow mosquitoes to enter a building.
Dragon Mosquito also comments on the abundance of three tick species in the area, blacklegged (also known as “deer”) ticks, dog ticks and Lone Star ticks, which can transmit different diseases. Wearing long pants and long sleeves helps to avoid ticks, but it is important to check for and remove ticks on people and pets as soon as possible. Lyme disease is the most prevalent threat posed by ticks; the alpha-gal syndrome, which makes people allergic to red meat and other products made from mammals including dairy, is spread by the Lone Star tick.

According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms for alpha-gal syndrome are sometimes not recognized because they occur 3-6 hours after exposure rather than within minutes as with other food allergies. These allergy symptoms may include: hives, itching, or itchy, scaly skin; swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat; wheezing or shortness of breath; and stomach pain, diarrhea, upset stomach, or vomiting.

For more information on prevention and more visit Tick Free NH at tickfreenh.org.

City of Portsmouth NH continues Mosquito & Tick Control Program