The Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission (MCMEC) inspects and treats areas found to be breeding mosquitoes. The common pesticides used for larvae are Abate, Altosid and Bti. Abate is a species-specific organo-phosphate that breaks down in the environment within 36 hours. Altosid is a growth hormone that attacks the mosquito larvae. Bti is a natural bacteria that only affects mosquito and black fly larvae. The MCMEC also stocks small, isolated waterbodies with mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, to control the larval mosquito population by natural predation. Certain criteria set forth by NJDEP Fish Game and Wildlife must be met before gambusia can be used.

       The focus of the MCMEC pesticide program is the larval stage of the mosquito. Sometimes adulticiding is required if larviciding was not effective enough or if WNV or other mosquito-borne diseases breaks out. In these situations, malathion or resmethrin is used.

Adulticiding and Larviciding
Operations

Mosquito Home Page • Adulticiding/Larviciding • Adult Surveillance • Larval Surveillance • Mosquito-borne Diseases • Mosquito Biology • Home

Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission
PO Box 162 • Eatontown • New Jersey • 07724
(Tel) 732-542-3630 • (Fax) 732-542-3267
mosquitoes@shore.co.monmouth.nj.us

© 2000 Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission. All rights reserved.
For more information about this site, contact Sean Healy.