2012 Plans and Estimates - Morris County Mosquito Commission

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PLANS AND ESTIMATES

2012

MORRIS COUNTY MOSQUITO

EXTERMINATION COMMISSION

P.O. Box 405

Morris Plains, NJ 07950(973) 285-6450



October 18, 2011

TO: Dr. Robert Goodman, DirectorNew Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station

New Brunswick, New Jersey

Dear Dr. Goodman:

The Morris County Mosquito Extermination Commission herewith submits Plans

and Estimates for 2012 in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Please note that the Commission will continue surveillance efforts in response to

the presence of West Nile virus. This disease, which first appeared in 1999, has spread

throughout most of the United States.

The Plans and Estimates, as submitted, form the basis of a balanced

program involving approved methods and procedures to protect the citizens of Morris

County from mosquitoes.

Respectfully submitted,

MORRIS COUNTY MOSQUITO

EXTERMINATION COMMISSION

By: ___________________________ Attest:_____________________________

Henry F. Sawoski Kristian J. McMorand

President Secretary



TABLE OF CONTENTS

Item Page Number

Prologue 1

Commission Facilities 2

Administration 2-3

Surveillance 3

Source Reduction 4-5

Chemical Control 5-6

Biological Control 6

Public Education 7

Budget 7

Organizational Chart Appendix

Aedes vexans map Appendix

Spreadsheet Appendix

Pie Chart Appendix



MORRIS COUNTY MOSQUITO EXTERMINATION COMMISSION

PLANS & ESTIMATES for 2012

PROLOGUE

In compliance with the public laws relating to the appropriation of funds for the operation of the MorrisCounty Mosquito Extermination Commission, the year 2012 financial requirements are submittedherewith, together with a statement of plan, methods and explanation.

The Commission will pursue a program in 2012 designed to afford the majority of the residents of Morris County a reasonable level of mosquito control and protection from mosquito-borne diseases,consistent with location and prevailing conditions, by utilizing environmentally sound techniques.Through the cooperation of the Board of Chosen Freeholders, adequate plant, vehicular and mechanizedequipment and specialized tools are available to operate the program. The methods to be employed arethose developed and approved by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers, The StateUniversity, and found to be effective in Morris County.

Morris County is 481 square miles in size, the fourth largest county in New Jersey. The population

stands at over 493,000 in 39 municipalities, up over 5% in the last 6 years. The majority of people residein the eastern portion of Morris County, roughly 35 miles west of New York City. Median family incomewas over $108,000.00 by 2007, and real estate figures from 2009 show the average house price was almost$450,000.00. Many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered or have offices within the County. Theresidents are generally well educated (44% college graduates) and have a decidedly low threshold formosquito annoyance.

The most severe mosquito potential in Morris County is the production of tremendous numbers of Aedes vexans and Aedes trivittatus in approximately 20,000 acres of flood plain areas adjacent to thePassaic River during periods of above normal rainfall. These low-lying areas, which are located along thePassaic River Valley in Morris and adjacent counties, have been estimated to have a breeding potential of two million female Aedes vexans and Aedes trivittatus per acre. Over 280,000 residents of Morris Countylive within the migration range of this species, representing nearly 70% of the total population for the

County. However, the human population in adjacent counties within this flight range would bring the totalnumber of inhabitants that live in the affected area to well over one million people. The accompanyingmap depicts the general area described above.

In addition to Aedes vexans produced in the above area, 2 additional species, Aedes sticticus and Aedes

cinereus, are found in the wooded flood plains of the Passaic, Pompton and Rockaway Rivers. Thesemosquitoes do not fly as far as Aedes vexans, but are very abundant and aggressive in the communities of Chatham Borough, Denville, East Hanover, portions of Hanover, Lincoln Park, Long Hill, Montville,eastern Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock and much of Rockaway. As development has spread into thesewooded areas, problems caused by Aedes sticticus and Aedes cinereus have increased. Numerous lowlying, wet areas dot the remainder of Morris County, yielding both permanent water and flood watermosquitoes in close proximity to residents.

West Nile virus (WNV) remains a factor in the NY-NJ metropolitan region, although the activity levelhas been lower in the state over the past 3 years. As crows become less suitable as early indicators, theburden of future surveillance falls more to mosquito control personnel to determine the risk through thediscovery of infected adult mosquitoes.

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COMMISSION FACILITIES

The Commission maintains the main office, field inspection facilities, a small laboratory, repair garageand equipment and insecticide storage areas on County property located on Highview Avenue in HanoverTownship.

Commission equipment stands at 53 items, including 16 pickup trucks, 1 passenger car, 4 dump or stake

body trucks, 2 bulldozers, 2 excavators, 8 all terrain vehicles (one of them amphibious), several trailers and13 ULV sprayers. Four are electric and another 7 are smaller, ATV mounted sprayers.

ADMINISTRATION

There are 7 members of the Mosquito Commission, all of whom are appointed to 3 year terms by theBoard of Chosen Freeholders. Meetings are held monthly, with the Superintendent acting as Secretary.The Commission provides advice and financial oversight for the organization.

Members of the Mosquito Commission as of the date of this report are as follows:

Henry F. Sawoski ----------- PresidentKevin Breen ----------------- Vice- President

Edmund Milewski ----------- TreasurerGarry Annibal --------------- Assistant TreasurerGene Feyl -------------------- Freeholder-CommissionerIrena Bairova --------------- CommissionerVacant ----------------------- Commissioner

The Commission currently has 20 permanent employees. Please see the organizational chart for theCommission hierarchy. The Commission will be directed by a Superintendent holding a Masters degree inAdministrative Science with 15 years experience in mosquito control. In field operations, theinspection/spraying program will be under the direction of a Chief inspector who has over 30 years inmosquito control work. The water management program will be managed by a Wetlands Specialist andGeneral Supervisor with a combined 30 plus years of service in mosquito control.

In addition, permits for water management projects will continue to be obtained by the WetlandsSpecialist. Surveillance duties will be carried out by the Senior Biologist and Chief Inspector, who haveboth been certified by the State Agricultural Experiment Station in Mosquito Identification and HabitatRecognition. Four employees hold Commercial Driver’s Licenses, and 14 are Certified PesticideApplicators (Category 8B, Mosquito Control). In addition, 4 other employees received Pesticide Operatorlicenses to assist when mosquito populations are severe. With the departure of one staff Biologist in 2011,the Commission would like to hire a new Biologist along with a new laborer for the water managementdepartment. It is the goal of the Commission to promote the Senior Biologist to the AssistantSuperintendents position in a year or two. We will recruit for 1-2 seasonal employees.

All employees who are Pesticide Applicators are required to attend the New Jersey Mosquito ControlAssociation annual recertification training in order to obtain enough credits to keep their license current.

Video tapes have been acquired to provide consistent training for both seasonal and full timeInspectors. Educational materials stating the Commission operating philosophy, methods of control andtypes of products used have been bundled into a packet for the Inspectors to distribute to residents. TheSuperintendent has created training materials for employees to become certified applicators and to receivetraining credits afterwards. The courses were approved by the NJDEP. The Senior Biologists will againprepare additional, comprehensive training segments for our staff.

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The Superintendent, Biologists, Wetlands Specialist, and General Supervisor attend the New Jersey

annual meeting. On occasion, other meetings are also attended. A subscription to the Journals of theAmerican Mosquito Control Association is maintained. Commissioners are members of the NJ MosquitoControl Association and attend that yearly meeting. In addition, the Commission President is a member of the American and Northeast Associations. Keeping up with the latest technical, legal and administrativetechniques available is of great value to the Commission.

A variety of professional services are used by the Commission each year: Legal services are provided

by the County Counsel, which results in substantial savings over the past practice of retaining outside legaladvice. An audit will be performed, as in the past, by a firm with experience in reviewing the practices of governmental agencies. Helicopter services will again be provided under the State Airspray Program. A

savings of at least $50,000.00-70,000 will be realized by this cooperative effort with the State MosquitoCommission. Aerial larviciding provides mosquito control over the widest geographical area and allowsthe Commission to get into otherwise inaccessible locations.

SURVEILLANCE

Precipitation plays the greatest role in determining the level of mosquito populations, and is monitoredclosely by rain gauges at the Commission office in Hanover Township and at the Madison-Chathamsewage treatment plant in the eastern part of the County. Daily maximum-minimum temperatures willagain be monitored at the Commission office.

The County is divided into 16 inspection districts, within which all known larval habitats are plotted onmaps developed over the past 79 years. These maps will be updated during the winter, with any new sitesnoted for the records. The need for extensive street maps with a variety of information may be required forwide spread adult mosquito control spraying, if that becomes necessary. These maps can be provided bythe County Planning Department, and plans for this service will be set up prior to the next “active”mosquito season. Data on larval surveillance will be recorded, summarized and presented in the AnnualReport of the Commission.

Commission staff will conduct inspections primarily on foot, but will also employ 8 all terrain vehicles(one amphibious) for this purpose. Areas of high larval production will be checked during the “off” seasonto obtain better information on the sites. Locations where water management will result in long termreduction of larval mosquitoes will be noted and turned over to the Commission’s Water Management

General Supervisor. Budget permitting, a new all terrain vehicle will be purchased in 2011 to replace anolder machine.

Adult mosquito populations will be monitored with 22 New Jersey type light traps, operated from Junethrough the first week of October. These provide objective, consistent data comparing mosquito levelsfrom site to site and year to year. Because some important species are not well sampled by these traps,landing rates and, occasionally, dry ice baited portable ABC and CDC traps will be used to measuremosquito numbers. Adult mosquitoes will be identified and recorded for review, helping to determinewhere the problem areas are. Graphical representations of the important nuisance species will again beshown in the Annual Report. West Nile virus surveillance will include intense larval surveys, monitoringfor Culex populations with gravid traps in many locations, and sampling with dry ice baited traps in thesame areas. Mosquitoes will be submitted to the State Health Department for virus testing.

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Service Requests (“complaints”) about adult mosquitoes form another surveillance component of the

program. These data are tracked with a map in which “hot spots” are located. Files of all calls aremaintained by municipality. Service calls are often not objective, so Inspectors will follow up toinvestigate and determine the nuisance levels in the area. Callers are notified regarding the results of theinspection, except during extreme mosquito outbreaks, when more than 2,000 calls are received in a 2-3week period. The Commission web page is proving to be an extremely useful source of information for thepublic and has reduced calls dramatically in the past 5 years.

The Commission will again receive data from the New Jersey Vector Surveillance Program and theNew Jersey State Mosquito Surveillance Program, both operated by the Agricultural Experiment Station,and from the State Office of Mosquito Control Coordination. In addition, information is available from theNJ State Health Department. The advent of computer based communications has also helped incommunicating developing issues in a rapid manner.

SOURCE REDUCTION

Water management has been a major portion of the Morris County Mosquito Extermination’s programsince the early 1930s. The network of ditches installed and maintained over the past 68 years is effectivewhen the rivers return to their channels reasonably soon after flooding occurs. The value of this systemhas become clearer over the past 23 years, as many adjacent counties ceased water management efforts dueto budget constraints and have had to larvicide large areas while Morris County needed only limited

treatment.

This portion of the program will again be carried out by 1 consolidated crew. They will be responsiblefor brush cutting and removing small obstructions from over 400 miles of drainage ditches. Historicallythe Commission performed tree removal from the major river systems as part of its De-Snagging program.Due to limited staff and budgetary constraints this is not possible. In 2010 a tree removal policy was set inplace by the Board of Commissioners. Trees that have fallen into the rivers from County property will beremoved and assistance will be offered to municipalities for trees that have fallen from municipal property.

The Wetlands Specialist and General Supervisor will direct the activities of both of these programs, andwill also obtain DEP permits, property owner’s permission for access to job sites, and coordination withmunicipalities on joint water management efforts, in which a local governmental agency obtains a DEPpermit and the Mosquito Commission does the work. With the departure of our Entomologist, we hired a

new employee, who has a B.S. degree in Natural Resource Management, to perform the permitting process.

In 2012 we will plan to continue using the State Mosquito Commissions Marsh Master to control thevegetation at the Morristown Airport meadow. In addition we would like to continue to work withmunicipalities in rehabilitating storm water basins that have deteriorated and have become mosquitoproducers.

As has been the practice for some time, the Mosquito Commission will continue to be notified by DEPregarding applications for wetland and stream encroachment permits, enabling us to review them todetermine the potential impact on mosquito populations. A few minor changes before a project is carriedout can often avoid serious mosquito problems later. A more active role in overseeing the construction andmaintenance of the basins, started in 2002, will continue in 2012. Local municipalities will be contactedrequesting them to implement ordinances similar to those in Hanover Township, which requires all such

work to be signed off by the Mosquito Commission. Special attention will be given to the placement of infiltration, bio-retention and constructed storm water wetland basins, which are designed to filter water,thereby reducing non-point source runoff into natural waterways. These basins, however, are almostalways mosquito producers, and we will need to work with environmental officials on compromisestructures that satisfy the need to reduce contamination of aquatic systems without creating major mosquitoproblems in residential areas.

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CHEMICAL CONTROL

The Commission will use and apply products that are registered with the EPA, DEP and arerecommended by the New Jersey State Agricultural Experiment Station, Rutgers University. They will be

applied only after thorough surveillance to determine the need for using them, and at the lowest

rates that are effective. Whenever possible, the products of lowest toxicity will be chosen if they are

appropriate and will provide economical control of the mosquito populations.

Control of larval mosquitoes will be conducted by the 8 Inspectors and the Biologist in conjunction

with ongoing surveillance in the 16 Commission districts. One Inspector slot will be filled by the Biologistposition when necessary. Materials will be applied from the ground by horn seeders (granular Bti, suchas Vectobac CG), hand (methoprene pellets and briquets) or pressurized hand cans (liquid Bti, such asVectobac 12AS and light mineral oils, such as Golden Bear 1111). The increased use of Altosid willrequire a greater larvicide budget because of the expense of this material. Altosid pellets and briquets arenecessary, however, to gain long term control of house mosquitoes, the primary vector of WNV. Also,some larval applications using electric sprayers mounted on the all terrain vehicles will be done (Vectobac12AS, Golden Bear 1111). Aerial applications will be made with Vectobac CG (or equivalent). As in thepast, thorough records of the amount and locations where these products are applied will be maintained.The total amounts used will be shown in the Annual Report.

Adulticiding, as always, will be done on a limited basis, being the last resort of the program. Duringlarge scale mosquito outbreaks, or times of increased disease threat, entire municipalities may be treated

with ground ultra low volume (ULV) equipment. Ground ULV of large areas will be carried out fromsunset to a few hours after sunset. Numerous studies have indicated that this time is most conducive forcontrolling adult mosquitoes with ULV equipment while avoiding non-target insects. Limited spraying forlocalized mosquito populations many be done in the early morning, weather permitting.

The Commission has 4 large gasoline powered ULV sprayers (2 London Fog and 2 Grizzly) that will beused for applying 96.5% malathion concentrate at ½ oz. per acre (3 oz. per minute) and/or resmethrin(Scourge 4% + 12% piperynol butoxide) at ¾ - 1 oz. per acre (4.5-6.0 oz. per minute). Four electricsprayers (Beecomist) will be employed to apply resmethrin. The latter machines are silent and Scourge isodorless, reducing objections by the public to this type of operation. Scourge is substantially moreexpensive than malathion, requiring an increase of our insecticide budget. We will make continued use of the 3.5 hp ULV units on the off road “quads”, controlling mosquitoes in wooded areas before they enterresidential sections of communities. A 5.5 hp unit was added in 2007, 2008 and 2009. We find the

increase in horsepower allows the engine not to work quite as hard increasing the machines longevity. In2010 we added a medium powered truck mounted gas sprayer (Wolverine) to bolster our ability to respondto mosquito and viral issues that may arise.

Aerial spraying for adult mosquitoes has not been done in 17 years in Morris County. If needed, theopen areas near the Passaic River basin may be sprayed with 96.5% malathion at 3 ounces per acre by theState Airspray Program.

As in ground larviciding applications, record keeping is done for each adulticide operation.Information includes location, time, equipment, pesticide (including formulation and EPA number),surveillance data and applicator. In addition, sites that are investigated but NOT sprayed will be recorded,helping us demonstrate our restraint in the use of adulticide products. The Commission uses very smallamounts of products to control adult mosquitoes, generally in the 35-200 gallons per YEAR range for all of

the County of Morris. Most of this material is a dilute, 4% solution of resmethrin, which is applied at ahigher rate than the organophosphate Malathion. Recurrent training of Inspection staff, especially in theareas of surveillance and material recording/reporting, are routinely done in house, due to the programsdeveloped by the Biologist(s), with assistance from the Superintendent.

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All permanent Inspection personnel are certified pesticide applicators, as noted earlier. Several of thewater management staff are also certified, and all will attend the annual pesticide applicator trainingsession. The Superintendent trained additional water management staff become Pesticide Operators, andthey can be used bolster our control abilities without hiring additional employees. Once again, up to 6members of this Commission will attend at least the NJMCA meeting.

Equipment calibration is done monthly. All ULV equipment is calibrated for flow rate, and dropletswill be measured by either waving Teflon coated slides to collect, then measure, the droplet size forcompliance with the label specifications or measured using a hot wire system that the Commission

purchased in 2008. The machines, using Scourge, produce a number of low density, small droplets that arenot well sampled by the slide wave method.

The Commission will continue to receive a list of registered bee keepers from DEP. These individualswill be notified 24 hours before any ULV operations take place within 3 miles of their hives. TheCommission will also oversee ULV operations conducted by local municipalities. Should extensive ULVefforts be required, more effective notice to the general public may be necessary.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Biological control is primarily limited to the use of the mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis. DEPguidelines will be used for stocking certain areas with these fish, keeping in mind that they are a non-native

species, limiting their placement to restricted areas where they will not escape to surrounding waters. TheBiologist has worked with NJDEP to identify additional fish stocking sites and has also started field trialsof native fish now available for mosquito control. This work will be continued during 2012.

PUBLIC EDUCATION

Well trained Inspectors form the front line of our public interaction and education. They again will beprovided with specialized literature developed to stimulate the cooperation of property owners in the causeof mosquito control. Brochures in English and Spanish will again be distributed in 2012. Participation atthe County 4H Fair, Morristown on the Green festival, Earth Day, and National Night Out will again takeplace in addition to a few new venues such as Canal Day in Wharton and the Dover Green festival. .

The Mosquito Commission web site, first developed in 2000, remains an effective way to let the publicknow what we are doing. Numerous press releases will make use of mass media for educational purposes.A concerted effort will continue to improve public cooperation in reducing mosquito production around thehome. The West Nile task force will assist in developing strategies to elicit citizen cooperation in thisimportant area. An increase of presentations at local schools by the Biologist(s) and Wetland Specialist isplanned for 2012.

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BUDGET

The budget submitted to the Freeholders is shown in the spread sheet at the end of this report, and a piechart indicating the allocation of financial resources is also provided. Note that the vast majority of expenditures will be in the area of personnel, which is not surprising given the need for a large labor forceto conduct mosquito control and water management services in a densely populated suburban county.With careful scrutiny, the operating budget for 2012 shows a modest .06% increase from 2011.

The following breakdown of the payroll portion of budget is as follows:

PAYROLL BUDGET

Administration $175,000.00Shop, Garage, Buildings 100,000.00Inspection & Spraying 550,000.00Seasonal 10,000.00Extra Time 90,000.00Water Management 325,000.00

Total Payroll Budget $1, 250,000.00



Mosquito CommissionAppointed by Morris County

Board of Freeholders

Kristian J. McMorland

Superintendent

Jeffrey DonnellyChief Inspector

William KarlakGeneral Supervisor

KeP

Mark VlaznyBiologist

Roger ArmstrongAsst. Chief Inspector

R. FosterSr. Inspector

R. DumasInspector

M. HendersonInspector

W. JonesEq. Operator

W. MottLaborer

J. ChuplisLaborer

Lucille DwyerAdmin. Clerk

Sean Del BeneAsst. Supervisor

Jason VivianAsst. Supervisor

E. WollaryLaborer

C. MooreLaborer

Vacant

Vacant

E. HakucsaSr. Acct. Clerk/Typing

Vacant

Vacant



2012 Mosquito Commission Budget

Insurance 2%

Salaries andBenefits 85%

Operational13%

2012 Plans and Estimates - Morris County Mosquito Commission

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