Monmouth County

Mosquito Control Division

MOSQUITO CONTROL

DIVISION

2017

Annual Report

Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division

Annual Report

2017

Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders

2017 2018

Lillian G. Burry, Director Thomas A. Arnone, Director

John P. Curley, Deputy Director Lillian G. Burry, Deputy Director

Thomas A. Arnone John P. Curley

Gary J. Rich, Sr. Patrick Impreveduto (liaison)

Serena DiMaso, Esq. (liaison) Gerry P. Scharfenberger, Ph.D.

Monmouth Mosquito Control Advisory Board 2017

Serena DiMaso, Esq. Freeholder Member

William McBride

Michael Gianforte

John Mele

Christopher P. Merkel, M.P.H.

Public Health Coordinator & Health Officer

Victoria C. Thompson, M.S.

Acting Superintendent

Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division

Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division

1901 Wayside Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724

732-542-3630

visitmonmouth.com/mosquito

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2017 HIGHLIGHTS MISSION STATEMENT STATUTORY AUTHORITY ADMINISTRATION

MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM

THE ROLE OF SURVEILLANCE

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

POPULATION SURVEILLANCE COMPONENT

VECTOR SURVEILLANCE COMPONENT o West Nile Virus Live Trapping o Eastern Equine Encephalitis Resting Box Sampling

PATHOGEN DETECTION COMPONENT o NJ Department of Health Taq-Man Real-Time—Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing o MCMCD Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform Testing

ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM

MOSQUITO CONTROL GROUND LARVICIDING

AERIAL LARVICIDING

REQUESTS FOR SERVICE

ADULTICIDING

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROGRAM

TIRE RETRIEVAL PROGRAM: Mosquito Madness!

WATER MANAGEMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS AND EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION NAVAL WEAPONS STATION-EARLE CONTRACT

TICK-BORNE DISEASES PROGRAM TICK IDENTIFICATION SERVICES

ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM

TICK PROGRAM LABORATORY

o General lab update

o Processing of active surveillance tick specimens

o Professional Engagement

OTHER PROJECTS o Presentations o Publications

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1 Monmouth County Weather Data

Table 2 New Jersey Light Trap Data

Table 3 NJLT Monthly Tally and Species Composition

Table 4 Disease Surveillance Data

Table 5 2017 BGS Surveillance Species Composition

Table 6 2017 BGS Surveillance Site Weekly Means

Table 7 MCMCD Larviciding Quantities Used by Traditional Ground Equipment

Table 8 Vectobac GS, VectoPrime and Provect 5G Applied Aerially per Municipality in 2017

Table 9 2017 Adult Mosquito Control Operations

Table 10 2017 Site locations stocked with fish for mosquito control

Table 11 Mosquito Control Division Water Management Permits

Table 12 2016 Surveillance Sites for Water Management Projects

Table 13 2017 Water Management Inspections Table 14 Water Management Projects Completed in 2017

Figure 1 2017 MCMCD Asian Tiger Mosquito (ATM) Surveillance

Figure 2 2017 Inspection Zones

Figure 3 2017 Requests for Service Compared to 2016 and 2006-2016 Average

Figure 4 2017 Requests for Service per Zone per Month

Figure 5 Larviciding Inspections 2000-2017

Figure 6 2017 Larviciding inspections by Zone

Figure 7 2017 Aerially Larviciding by Municipality

Figure 8 Tires Removed from the Environment 2017

Figure 9 Total Weekly Tick Submissions, 2006-2017

Figure 10 Cumulative total tick submissions 2006-2017

Figure 11 Annual trends in species composition of ticks submitted 2006-2017

Figure 12 2017 Monthly submissions of three medically important ticks

Figure 13 Field collected nymphal ticks at NWS Earle, 2006-2017

Figure 14 Relative numbers of ticks collected in 2017 from 19 sites in Monmouth County

Figure 15 Proportion of Human Invasive Strains of B. burgdorferi in Monmouth County 2013-2016

Figure 16 Effects of OTC applications against blacklegged ticks and lone start ticks at NWS Earle

Mosquito Control Division Personnel (Permanent)

Victoria Thompson, Acting Superintendent

Regina Henry, Sr. Payroll Clerk

Mosquito Control

Anthony Acquaviva, Entomologist Jake Jones, Inspector

Kyle Cole, Entomologist Anthony Notaroberto, Inspector

Vincent Poulsen, Wetlands Specialist Donald Russo, Inspector

Russell Brahn, Chief Inspector Tick-borne Diseases Program

Christopher Norton, Sr. Inspector Dr. Robert Gordon, Research Scientist

Dawn Brown, Sr. Inspector Dr. Andrea Egizi, Research Scientist

MONMOUTH COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DIVISION

2017 Highlights Mosquito Control Program:

The Mosquito Control Division received 713 Requests for Service, slightly less than the 10-year average of 732. Seasonal and permanent employess conducted over 9800 inspections of document sites where mosquito larvae have been known to thrive. This is the highest number for a season since 2000.

The aerial larviciding program treated over 10,500 acres of mosquito larvae habitat over the course of the season.

948 mosquito pools were tested for West Nile virus and or Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Sixteen (3.7%) pools tested positive and were collected from 9 sites; 1 pool tested positive to EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis).

Adult mosquito control operations were conducted in response to 2 human cases of West Nile virus and in response to the EEE mosquito pool.

“March Madness” Tire Pick-up Program focused on Howell Township resulting in 343 tires being removed from residences

Mosquito Control Division employees teamed up with Clean Communities, NJDEP and the NJ Department of Corrections to clean up 4 large tire piles in Manalapan, Marlboro, Howell and Neptune City. Over 1200 tires were removed through this cooperative effort.

Ticks borne Diseases Program:

In 2017, the public submitted a total of 1,055 tick specimens for identification. This number is more than 2/3 higher than average (633) but lower than 2015 and 2017.

Close to half (497; 47.1%) were Lone Star ticks; close to 30% (311) American dog ticks and 23% (247)Black-legged ticks (aka deer ticks). This is consistent with a multi-year trend with deer ticks making up a smaller portion of tick submissions.

Since the program change to identification of publicly- submitted ticks, 81 ticks (7.7% of all submissions) have been retrieved by people who submitted them (presumably for testing at an independent lab). In 2016, 98.8% of people submitting blacklegged ticks had the tick tested by the Program lab (when testing was offered for a nominal fee).

2017 was the first year of our new active surveillance program on public lands with ticks collected from a wide range of potential sites in Monmouth. Ticks were most abundant in the southern part of the county and the most common tick at these sites was the lone star tick

The Monmouth County Tick-borne diseases laboratory identified a new exotic invasive species of tick Haemaphysalis longicornis (aka the longhorned tick) using qPCR (DNA analysis) as a service to Hunterdon County where the tick was discovered. This tick is native to east Asia and this collection in the first in the United States outside of port-of-entry inspections.

MONMOUTH COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DIVISION

MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Advisory Board and Mosquito Control Division is to provide County residents and visitors with protection from mosquito and tick borne diseases while maintaining an environmental comfort level that is suitable for the enjoyment of outdoor activities. This mission statement applies to both mosquito control and tick management operations. STATUTORY AUTHORITY The public health mission of the Mosquito Control Division cannot be understated. In New Jersey, NJSA Title 26:3B Health and Vital Statistics, Chapter 3B, Nuisances Affecting Health, and the NJ Public Health Nuisance Code, Section II, define any liquid in which mosquito larvae exist as an unlawful health nuisance. The NJ State Laws of 1912, chapter 104, mandated mosquito control at the county level. The authority is codified under NJSA Title 26 Chapter 9, Mosquito Extermination. Title 26 does not mandate the type of mosquito control activities to be performed; the MCAB and Division choose to fulfill this public health mission by providing a countywide Integrated Pest Management program for the control of nuisance and disease-causing mosquitoes. Our comprehensive IPM approach includes mosquito population and disease surveillance, use of low-impact pesticides and bio-controls (mosquito fish), education, source reduction and water management as well as the use of chemical pesticides, including the aerial application of pesticides to large expanses of mosquito larval habitat (saltmarshes and woodland pools) using the County helicopter. Through resolution authorized by NJSA 26:2P-7, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders designated the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Advisory Board (formerly Mosquito Extermination Commission) to provide surveillance, education, training, and recommendations on integrated pest management of Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases and to provide appropriate tick management activities in accordance with established best management practices. The purpose of this Annual Report is to report how the Division implemented these principles of integrated pest management and fulfilled its mission in 2017. ADMINISTRATION In 1914, the Board of Chosen Freeholders complied with the state mandate for mosquito control by creating the Mosquito Extermination Commission as a separate politic corporation funded by the Board of Chosen Freeholders. NJSA 26:9 Article 2B also provides a second option where the Board of Chosen Freeholders assume the responsibility for providing mosquito control. To reduce administrative redundancy, the Board of Chosen Freeholders through Resolution 2014-0662 Amended dissolved the Commission effective December 31, 2014 and created the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Advisory Board (MCAB). At the end of 2016, Chairman Andrew Trocchia and Vice Chairman Robert Hary resigned for personal reasons. The remaining board met three times over the course of the year and provided expertise and guidance on long-term operational direction. At their August meeting, board members and County Administration mutually agreed to dissolve the board as its mission to guide the transition from commission to division had been fulfilled.

In 2017, the Division had 13 full-time positions: Acting Superintendent (Assistant Superintendent), 2 Research Scientists, 2 Entomologists, 1 Wetlands Specialist, 1 Chief Inspector, 2 Sr. Inspectors, 1 Inspector, 2 Inspector Trainees, and 1 Payroll Clerk. Of the full-time staff, 2 Research Scientists and part of an Entomologist’s time are dedicated to the Tick Management Program. The clerical staff provides administrative support to all program components. To handle the workload of inspecting and treating known mosquito sites and setting surveillance traps, the Division hired 13 seasonal field laborers. To assist our one office employee during the active mosquito and tick seasons, a seasonal receptionist/account clerk was hired. In 2017, the Acting Superintendent reported directly to Christopher Merkel, County Public Health Coordinator and Public Health Officer, strengthening the public health tie between the Health Department and Mosquito Control Division. In the spring and again in late fall, Mr. Merkel conducted a joint staff meeting to further meld the connection between health inspectors, nurses, the epidemiologist and Mosquito Control inspectors, entomologists and research scientists. In March of 2017, the Board of Chosen Freeholders adopted the budget recommended by the Mosquito Control Advisory Board providing $1,182,570 to the Division with the following breakdown: Mosquito Control Program

Salaries and Wages (includes Tick Program personnel): $841,135.00 Operating Expenses: $261,145

Tick-Borne Disease Program Operating Expenses: $80,290.00

In addition to the budget provided by the Board of Chosen Freeholders, the Mosquito Control Division received $18,900.00 from the US Department of Defense for providing mosquito surveillance and control services to Naval Weapons Station Earle.

MOSQUITO SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM THE ROLE OF SURVEILLANCE The staff of the Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division (MCMCD) is dedicated to monitoring mosquito populations and to detecting the presence of mosquito-borne pathogens within those populations. A well-formulated and professionally executed mosquito control strategy protects the health and well-being of residents and visitors in Monmouth County and preserves the quality of life for outdoor activities. To that end, the Division conducts a comprehensive program of adult mosquito surveillance designed to track biting populations and to determine the prevalence of mosquito-borne diseases in the county. Data gathered through this program serve a vital role in the operational decision-making process regarding when, where, and how often to treat as well as the best products and methods to use. In the current social climate that increasingly pits the opponents of pesticide use against those concerned with the health risks of mosquito-borne disease, it is essential that control decisions be based on the demonstrable scientific data provided by surveillance. THE IMPORTANCE OF ENVIROMENTAL FACTORS While there are a wide variety of factors that will finely shape a mosquito population, only a select few of these influences dramatically affect the size and composition of an area’s mosquito population. Among the natural factors are average daily temperature and humidity, length of day, and the amount and frequency of precipitation and tides. Human activities also play an important role in affecting local mosquito populations. Artificial containers can be exploited as breeding habitat and frequent heavy lawn and garden watering that serves as a rainfall supplement benefit species around the home. Information gathered regarding the spatial and temporal weather patterns as well as that regarding property conditions provide context when evaluating trap data.

Table 1.

MONMOUTH COUNTY WEATHER DATA*:

WEATHER STATION 2017 SEASON 2016 SEASON

RAIN AVG. TEMP. RAIN AVG. TEMP.

LONG BRANCH /OAKHURST NA** NA** 17.76” 71.3 0F

FREEHOLD/MARLBORO 25.61” 67.4 0F 22.96” 68.4

0F

*all data from the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist

** data not reported for the months of August and October

POPULATION SURVEILLANCE COMPONENT

New Jersey Light Trap Population Monitoring

The New Jersey Light Trap (NJLT) is an adult mosquito sampling device that typically operates via 120V AC household current powering a 25W light bulb that acts as a phototactic attractant and an electric motor that provides a downdraft to capture specimens drawn to the bulb’s light. A perforated collection cup retains the captured insects and exposes them to the lethal vapors of a strip of dichlorvos located in

A New Jersey Light Trap

the jar holding that cup. The trap is turned on each day at dusk and off at dawn by a photovoltaic switch. The samples trapped are collected daily from Monday to Friday during the months of May through October. The entomologist sorts out the trap contents and separates out the female mosquitoes, discarding males and other insects. The females are examined under a low power stereo microscope and identified to species level. The count of each species from each location is recorded in an Excel database. In 2017, 15 New Jersey Light Traps were operational at fixed locations throughout the county.

Table 2.

NEW JERSEY LIGHT TRAP DATA:

SIGNIFICANT DATA 2017 SEASON 2016 SEASON

TOTAL CATCH 16,065 13,215

NO. TRAP NIGHTS 2,623 2,827

AVG. CATCH /TRAP NIGHT 6.1 4.7

SALT MARSH SPECIES 2,525 (15.7%) 3,844 (29.1%)

Aedes vexans 2,885 (17.8%) 2,504 (18.9%)

Culex pipiens 8,669 (54.0%) 5,108 (38.7%)

NUMBER OF SPECIES 30 29

Table 3. NJLT Monthly Tally-2017 Season

NJLT SPECIES COMPOSITION:

Species

Adult Female Mosquito Count

By Month

2017 Season

MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT Total Avg.*

PIP 912 2,829 1,527 1,760 1,287 354 8,669 3.3

RES 208 144 10 138 63 26 589 0.2

ERT

14 39 1 54 <0.1

TER 4 17 8 4 2 5 40 <0.1

SAL 9 44 3 5 4 2 67 <0.1

MEL 4

1 5 <0.1

INR 1 2 1 2 6 <0.1

CAN 57 26 2 1 1 87 <0.1

SOL 88 87 794 359 56 22 1,406 0.5

CTT 485 383 31

899 0.3

TRI 3 2 1 1 1 8 <0.1

TVT 7 1

8 <0.1

TAE 3 29 12 1 25 70 <0.1

GRO 3

3 <0.1

JAP 3 11 11 17 8 2 52 <0.1

STC 1 1 1 3 <0.1

VEX 432 688 932 553 213 47 2,865 1.1

PCT 1 1 <0.1

ALB 5 17 13 9 1 45 <0.1

CIL

1 1 <0.1

COL 5 6 128 271 18 1 429 0.2

FRX

1

1 <0.1

PUN 12 34 52 56 47 21 222 <0.1

QUA 3 22 48 62 44 25 204 <0.1

BAR

1 1 <0.1

CRU

5 6 1 3 15 <0.1

BRD 5 29 17 9 2 62 <0.1

PER 13 44 17 1 75 <0.1

SAP 1 14 73 79 7 174 <0.1

SIG 1

1 2 4 <0.1

TOTAL 2,240 4,321 3,702 3,406 1,851 545 16,065 6.1 *avg.catch/trap night for all traps based on a cumulative 2,623 nights operated

VECTOR SURVEILLANCE COMPONENT

West Nile virus Live Trapping Since 2000 West Nile virus (WNV) has posed a public health threat to the east coast of the United States. Then operating as the Monmouth County Mosquito Extermination Commission, the MCMCD aggressively expanded its surveillance program to include collecting for testing live female mosquitoes to determine the presence of the virus in local mosquito populations. This component involves the use of portable, battery operated traps placed in areas of interest regarding WNV. The portability of these traps provides the ability for a broader sampling of the county and allows for one-time or ongoing trapping of a site. Three trap types are currently in use for WNV surveillance: the Centers for Disease Control miniature light trap (commonly referred to simply as CDC); the Centers for Disease Control gravid trap (GRA); and the Biogents Corporation Sentinel trap (BGS). Each of these portable traps operates from DC power. For the CDC and the GRA, four 1.5V D-cells are used to power a fan motor that draws mosquitoes into the trap. In the case of the CDC, a small insulated cooler contains dry ice which sublimates to CO2 and works as an attractant while the fan provides a downdraft to hold the live specimens until collected. This trap tends to collect mammalian biters attracted to the CO2. The GRA employs a fan to create an updraft drawing and holding live specimens into the trap net. The attractant in this case is a highly malodorous grass-infusion in a restaurant bus tub on which the trap sits. This trap tends to collect mosquitoes ready to lay eggs (gravid) and samples mosquitoes which more often feed on avian hosts and amplify West Nile virus. The BGS trap operates from a rechargeable 6V battery and uses a human scent lure to attract mosquitoes. The highly contrasting black and white construction of the trap serves as a visual secondary attractant. This trap style heavily samples the Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus. Samples collected with this trap type are screened for West Nile virus but can also be tested for Chikungunya, Dengue and Zika viruses.

Each portable trap is set in the field at a site of interest and is retrieved the following day. Typically, traps are set on the first “good weather” day of the week, with the weather for the pick-up day considered as well. Samples are returned to the laboratory where the adult females are identified and “pooled.” A pool is a collection of 1-50 mosquitoes of the same species from the same site collected on the same day. A pool may consist of the contents from one or several traps of one or more types. Once specimens are pooled, the data are entered into both a handwritten log book and Excel spreadsheet and specimens sent by courier to the NJDOH Public Health, Environmental and Agricultural Laboratories (PHEAL). Within a few days, results are received via e-mail.

Example of a gravid trap which collects

mosquitoes ready to lay eggs.

The CDC trap uses dry ice to lure

mosquitoes ready to bite

mammals.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis Resting Box Sampling Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is a virulent mosquito-borne disease that has been detected on occasion in Monmouth County and warrants robust monitoring of the local mosquito population. EEE is amplified between birds and bird-biting mosquitoes, specifically, Culiseta melanura (MEL) before crossing over into mosquitoes that bite mammals. Proactively, the MCMCD collects, on a weekly basis, mosquitoes from 50 wooden resting boxes placed in a forested site with little understory near a cedar or red maple swamp, the larval habitat of Culiseta melanura. A resting box is highly attractive to MEL, which rest in them during their inactive daytime hours. Mosquitoes of all species are removed and taken to the lab for identification and pooling. Pooled samples are sent to the NJDOH laboratory for WNV/EEE testing. PATHOGEN DETECTION COMPONENT NJ Department of Health Taq-Man Real-Time – Polymerase Chain Reaction Testing Through funds provided by the New Jersey Office of Mosquito Control Coordination (OMCC), mosquito pools collected by the county agencies are submitted to the NJDOH PHEAL for testing. The PHEAL utilizes a high throughput Taq-man Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) system for detection of select pathogens. The process amplifies the genetic material of viruses and bacteria to detectable levels. Among the pathogens that can be screened are WNV, EEE, Chikungunya, Dengue, Zika, Lacrosse Encephalitis, and St. Louis Encephalitis. In 2017 the MCMCD tested 892 pools for the presence of pathogens. Of these pools, the PHEL performed 712 WNV and 73 EEE assays. No State funding was available for Chikungunya, Dengue or Zika testing. The RT-PCR results from these tests were 13 WNV positives from 8 sites. Additionally, four WNV positive pools were collected by MCMCD staff on behalf of the US Army at the Sea Girt Training center. One pool tested positive for EEE from the Turkey Swamp Wildlife Refuge site. MCMCD Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform Testing The MCMCD has the ability to test mosquito pools for the presence of WNV. Through the use of the Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform (RAMP) technology, samples collected in the field are brought directly to the MCMCD laboratory where they can be identified, pooled, prepared, and tested in the matter of several hours. This capability supplements the OMCC sponsored WNV weekly testing allotment and also gives the MCMCD a faster turn-around time for results. During the peak of WNV activity in the County the extended capacity and rapid results can be crucial in deciding the necessity for adult mosquito control operations. In the 2017 season, MCMCD surveillance laboratory personnel tested 230 pools using the RAMP system. Of these samples, 19 WNV positives from 10 sites were detected. RAMP data also played a pivotal role in decisions to conduct control operations targeting adult mosquitoes this year. Interestingly, both the RT-PCR and RAMP systems detected West Nile virus in Culex pipiens, Aedes vexans, and Aedes albopictus. The RT_PCR also found WNv in Anopheles quadrimaculatus; RAMP detected WNv in Anopheles punctipennis. These detections were instrumental in the decisions to conduct control operations targeting adult mosquitoes in proximity to these collections.

An MCMCD seasonal employee collects mosquitoes from a resting box. These specimens are tested for the presence of EEE and WNv.

*includes samples tested by RAMP apparatus

ASIAN TIGER MOSQUITO (ATM) SURVEILLANCE

The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an invasive species first discovered in North America in 1985 (Houston, TX), eventually expanding its range throughout the Southeastern U.S. into the Mid-Atlantic. In 1995, the mosquito was first detected in Monmouth County from a trap in Keyport, which was also the first statewide record. In addition to being a potential vector of several pathogens, this mosquito is a container-breeding species that feed primarily during the daytime and have a preference for human blood meals. These traits make Ae. albopictus a prominent nuisance and public health threat, primarily in urban and suburban environments, as well as make control of the species particularly difficult to achieve. Traditional mosquito traps have proven to be an ineffective method of Asian Tiger Mosquito (ATM) surveillance. Beginning with the USDA ATM Project (2008-2012), BioGents Sentinel (BGS) traps have been used to target the adult population and continue to be the most effective way to monitor Ae. albopictus. The traps are set once a week, for a period of 24 hours, throughout the season at designated sites.

Table 4. DISEASE SURVEILLANCE DATA:

COMPONENT

WNV (POS/TOTAL) EEE (POS/TOTAL) CHIKV/DEN

(POS/TOTAL) ZIKV (POS/TOTAL)

2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 2016

MOSQUITO 32*/942* 22*/1149* 1/73 1/68 NA 0/493 NA 0/322

AVIAN NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

EQUINE 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 NA NA NA NA

HUMAN 2/2 2/2 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0

WNV RAMP Testing Entomologist prepares mosquito samples for West Nile virus testing using the MCMCD’s RAMP apparatus. This system extends the weekly testing capacity of the surveillance lab and allows for same

day results when needed.

Surveillance continued in 2017, with twenty-three sites placed throughout Monmouth County for routine monitoring - this was an decrease from thirty sites in 2016. Thirteen of the thirty sites were previously monitored since 2008 and provide reliable data for seasonal comparison and population trends. In addition to public surveillance, the MCMCD also provided the Army National Guard (ARNG) at their training center in Sea Girt with disease surveillance and mosquito control amid ongoing concerns regarding the exotic arboviruses (Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses) as well as West Nile virus. Routine county Ae. albopictus samples were shipped for viral detection as described above to the NJDOH Public Health and Environmental Laboratories (PHEL). All samples collected for ARNG were shipped for testing to the Army Public Health Center (Atlantic ) in Fort George Meade, Maryland. Additional traps were frequently set around the county for supplemental disease surveillance, request for service inquiries, and to measure adulticide application efficacy. In 2017, 459 BGS traps were deployed throughout the season with a total catch of 13,474 mosquitoes. When compared to 2016 (602 trapping events yielded 10,755 mosquitoes), although trapping effort decreased, an increase of more than 25% in mosquito abundance was observed. Ae.albopictus constituted more than 91% of the species composition, with the second highest consisting of the Culex genus complex (pipiens, restuans) at over 6% (Table 5). These figures differ drastically from the historical species composition, which typically ranges from 75-80% for Ae. albopictus and 15-20% for the Culex complex. In 2017, the MCMCD was able to purchase the latest model of the of the BGS trap (BGS 2) via federal grant funding to replace our aging and damaged BGS traps, which had been in use since 2008. The newer traps featured an alternate color scheme, advanced scent lure, and more durable components- all of which may have added to the increased efficiency in attracting Ae. albopictus while further excluding other species.

Table 5.

2017 BGS Surveillance Species Composition

Total

Species # % Total Ae. albopictus 12239 90.83%

Cx. pip/rest 834 6.19%

Cx. salinarius 106 0.79%

Ae. vexans 74 0.55%

Ae. triseriatus 48 0.36%

An. quadrimaculatus 44 0.33%

Ae. sollicitans 37 0.27%

Tx. r. septentrionalis 33 0.24%

Ae. japonicus 21 0.16%

Cx. erraticus 8 0.06%

Ae. trivittatus 6 0.04%

Ae. cantator 5 0.04%

An. punctipennis 4 0.03%

Ae. canadensis 3 0.02%

Ae. Taeniorhyncus 3 0.02%

Cq. Perturbans 3 0.02%

Or. signifera 3 0.02%

An. barberi 1 0.01%

Ps. Discolor* 1 0.01%

Ps. ferox 1 0.01%

TOTAL 13474

*1st county record of species

Left: Ae. albopictus, marked with

distinguishing black and white

banded legs, and a white stripe

extending from the head to the

thorax.

Right: BioGents Sentinel (BGS) trap,

used primarily for Ae. albopictus

collection.

In summary, 2017 Ae.albopictus monitoring indicated an early season that saw populations slightly above the historical norm. As displayed by both the average Ae. albopictus per trap each week (Table 6) and how that relates to the 5-year historical comparison (Figure 1), the second half of the season saw populations reach levels that had not been observed in the previous decade of intensified surveillance for the species. As stated above, the new trap design may be the impetus for such a drastic increase. Other possible influences are long-term environmental factors that affect mosquito production such as seasonal precipitation and temperature, short-term environmental factors that affect mosquito behavior like wind, precipitation, and humidity, and variation that occurs in site selection for trapping. There was no noticeable increase in complaints/requests for service related to domestic mosquito issues. Future data collection and comparison may reveal a more definitive explanation. In addition to routine disease surveillance, the MCMCD submitted 251 Ae. Albopictus pools for WNV testing (TAQMAN Real-Time PCR). All yielded negative results. In 2017, testing mosquito pools for CHIKV, DENV (1-4), and ZIKV through the NJDOH was discontinued (see Surveillance Program for full results). On behalf of ARNG, the MCMCD sent 68 pools for testing. Seven Ae. albopictus pools tested negative for WNV, ZIKV, DENV, and CHIKV. The other 61 pools consisted of WNV testing on Culex species (pipiens, restuans, salinarius). Four pools yielded positive results while the other 57 were negative.

Table 6.

2017 BGS Surveillance Weekly Means

Total Ae. albopictus Per Trap

Calendar Week # Traps Ae. albopictus Weekly µ

20 (5/14-5/20) 19 12 0.63

21 (5/21-5/27) 21 11 0.52

22 (5/28-6/3) 22 152 6.91

23 (6/4-6/10) 22 55 2.50

24 (6/11-6/17) 22 492 22.36

25 (6/18-6/24) 22 279 12.68

26 (6/25-7/1) 22 163 7.41

27 (7/2-7/8) 22 445 20.23

28 (7/9-7/15) 22 520 23.64

29 (7/16-7/22) 22 796 36.18

30 (7/23-7/29) 22 380 17.27

31 (7/30-8/5) 22 1088 49.45

32 (8/6-8/12) 22 1075 48.86

33 (8/13-8/19) 22 643 29.23

34 (8/20-8/26) 22 1350 61.36

35 (8/27-9/2) 16 768 48.00

36 (9/3-9/9) 17 1031 60.65

37 (9/10-9/16) 13 556 42.77

38 (9/17-9/23) 15 434 28.93

39 (9/24-9/30) 15 820 54.67

40 (10/1-10/7) 14 432 30.86

41 (10/8-10/14) 15 503 33.53

42 (10/15-10/21) 15 113 7.53

43 (10/22-10/28) 13 121 9.31

Figure 1.

MOSQUITO CONTROL

The Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division has embraced an integrated pest management approach to mosquito control meaning that a number of strategies are employed to reduce the number of adult “flying” mosquitoes which can cause discomfort and potentially transmit disease. Our overall control strategy targets the juvenile stages of mosquitoes. Although the bionomics of individual species varies, the egg, larval and pupal stages of all mosquitoes are aquatic, and, therefore, any standing water situation becomes a potential mosquito problem. Throughout Monmouth County, continued urbanization and development has greatly modified the environment, creating man-made sources conducive for mosquito production. One on one education of residents at the time of inspection is a significant component of our control program. In some sections of Monmouth County, mosquito-breeding problems have been reduced or eliminated through water management practices and sanitation (tire and container removal). At other sites, fish have been introduced to provide natural control. For those sites that cannot be modified through water management or otherwise permanently remedied, temporary chemical control measures must be used on a regularly basis during the active mosquito-breeding season. For each pesticide application, the water is sampled for mosquito larvae with a dipper and the stage of instar and numbers of larvae per dip are noted in the pesticide application record. Where dipping is physically impossible, a thorough visual evaluation is made to determine the presence of larvae. With the exception of a rare pre-treatment of a site known to produce mosquitoes, pesticides are used only when larvae are present. This approach to mosquito control is further mandated by the NJDEP Water Quality General Permit of Pesticide Application (NJPDES GP #NJ0178217) which requires a Pesticide Discharge Management Plan focused on Integrated Pest Management. In addition, all mosquito control activities involving pesticides are highly regulated by the NJDEP Pesticide Program (NJAC 7:30) and USEPA Pesticide Program.

GROUND LARVICIDING

REQUESTS FOR SERVICE

The Division responds to the needs of the residents of Monmouth County by answering requests for service called into the office by citizens or municipal personnel, usually the local health or code enforcement officer. When the Division receives a request it is recorded and then given to the appropriate inspector for review and site inspection. For 2017, the county was divided into four mosquito control zones, with an inspector and crew being assigned to each zone (Figure 2). In addition, we had one inspector and crew who served as a floater who would pick up inspections as needed when one area received significantly more requests. Inspections are conducted as soon as possible, usually within 5 working days depending on caller volume. If the inspector feels a site will be an ongoing problem, it is added to the list of breeding sites for regular inspection and treatment.

Figure 2. 2017 Inspection Zones

During 2017, Division staff responded to 713 requests for service. This number is slightly below the 2006-2016 average of 732 (Figure 3). At the time of inspection, 70% had mosquito larvae present. Of these requests, 174 (~24%) involved unmaintained swimming pools which necessitated follow-up inspections on a monthly basis. Twenty-seven percent had containers with water and larvae that could easily be managed by the homeowner.

Established sites Over 3,000 potential and known breeding sites in Monmouth County have been methodically classified and catalogued by MCMCD personnel. Once the active mosquito season begins, the most essential and intensive phase of mosquito control activities is the systematic inspection and treatment of those catalogued sites. These sites are divided by routes within a municipality. After receiving classroom and 40 hours of field training, seasonal personnel are licensed pesticide operators working under the supervision of a mosquito inspector who is a licensed pesticide applicator in core and 8B for mosquito control. Two-person seasonal crews are assigned a route for the day by their supervising inspector.

During the active mosquito season, the inspectors and their respective seasonal crews conducted over 9,800 inspections of catalogued larval habitat sites throughout the county. This figure is the highest number of larviciding inspections conducted from 2000-2017 (Figure 5.).

At the time of inspection, ~ 68% were wet with 50% supporting larvae (34% of total) (Figure 6.). This is consistent with 2016 inspections and reflective of relatively low rainfall conditions prevalent throughout the season, especially the second half.

Figure 4. 2017 Requests for Service addressed by inspectors by zone. Figure 3. 2017 Requests for Service compared to 2016 and

2006-2016 average.

Figure 5.

Figure 6. 2017 Inspections by Larviciding crews.

The larvicides used in mosquito control vary greatly in their formulation, efficacy, and persistence, which allows the licensed applicator/operator to decide on the most suitable ones for treatment of individual sites. Table 7 details the MCMCD larvicides used in 2017. Table 7. MCMCD Larviciding quantities used by traditional ground equipment application in 2017.

Product Used Formulation Amount Used/Unit

Abate 4E Liquid Concentrate 5.81 qts

Abate pellets Granular 35 oz

Agnique MMF Liquid 70.5 fl oz

Altosid briquets briquet 33 ea.

Altosid XR Briquet briquet 5 ea.

Altosid XRG Granular 3 oz

Altosid pellets pellet 17 oz.

Fourstar Briquets briquet 93 briquets

Golden Bear Liquid .75 gal

Natular XRT briquet 9 ea.

Summit BTI dunks briquet 6247.75 ea.

AERIAL LARVICIDING

For large tracts of undeveloped land flooded with standing water, the County-owned Bell 206 B-III Jet Ranger is used to apply pesticides targeting mosquito larvae. These tracts, also referred to as airblocks, are usually associated with forested wetlands/floodplains in the western part of the county and upper saltmarshes in the bayshore and coastal sections. Freshwater airblocks tend to produce mosquitoes in late spring/early summer before trees fully leaf out and spring rains/downpours are common. The saltmarshes regularly flood with the spring high tides and/or with significant rain events. Prior to operations commencing, the Mosquito Control Division requests every municipality in the county to pass a resolution authorizing the County helicopter to fly in the airspace over each jurisdiction. This resolution would apply to both larviciding and adulticiding operations if needed. In addition, the MCD obtained special landing area licenses where the helicopter can land and be reloaded with pesticides by the ground crew. Property owner permission is obtained to support the license application. In addition to Division headquarters at 1901 Wayside Road, the following sites were licensed special landing areas for landing and loading pesticides: Holmdel Park Maintenance area Howell Park Golf Course Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Old Belford/Middletown airport Aberdeen Compost Area Soldiers Memorial Field, Howell Wolf Hill Recreation Area, Oceanport Deep Run Recreation Area, Marlboro East Freehold Park, Freehold

County helicopter flying into position to apply granular larvicide to Pews Creek saltmarsh.

Various bayshore and coastal saltmarshes were also licensed for landing to sample for larvae and check the efficacy of an application. In 2017, surveillance and treatment of the saltmarshes was greatly enhanced by periodic inspections conducted by landing the helicopter in the marsh with an inspector dipping wet areas that could not be easily accessed from a road.

Aerial applications are triggered by ground inspections of the airblocks conducted by the

four mosquito inspectors for their zones. Several samples (dips) are taken of the standing water with the stage of larvae development and number of larvae recorded. A list of airblocks where larvae are present is given to the Shade Tree Commission pilot who is licensed pesticide applicator in aerial and mosquito control. Personnel from the County Highway Division provide support in loading the granular pesticides into the helicopter hoppers. Aerial operations can begin as early as mid-March depending on temperature and relative flooding of wooded wetlands in the western part of the county. In 2017, the first aerial applications were made on April 10, 2017, the last on September 8, 2017. In 2017, the program was responsible for the application of 600 lbs. of Provect 5G (a.i. temephos) and 33,600 lbs. of Vectobac GS (a.i. Bti) and 19,240 lbs of VectoPrime FS (a.i Bti and methoprene). For the most part, the Provect 5G was applied to tidal marshes while the Vectobac was applied to freshwater wetland habitats. During the season, the pilot logged 128.6 hours of flight time for mosquito control. Table 8 lists the number of pounds applied by helicopter per municipality. As of December 31, 2015, temephos products were no longer manufactured; however, inventory of these pesticides can continue to be used. Recognizing the need to find a substitute for saltmarsh treatment, the Division applied Vectobac Prime FS (a.i. Bti and methoprene) on a test plot in Middletown and achieved adequate control. In 2017, VectoPrime was the primary pesticide applied to saltmarsh habitats.

Table 8. Pounds of Vectobac GS, VectoPrime, and Provect 5G granules applied per municipality in 2017

Municipality (# of airblocks treated in 2017)

Vectobac lbs a.i. Bti

VectoPrime lbs a.i. Bti and methoprene

PROVECT 5G lbs a.i temephos

ABERDEEN (8) 0 3890 0

ALLENTOWN (2) 302 0 0

ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS (1) 4 6 0

COLTS NECK (4) 322 0 0

ENGLISHTOWN (1) 8 0 0

FARMINGDALE (4) 2579 0 0

FREEHOLD BORO (6) 515 0 0

FREEHOLD TWP (19) 4240 0 0

HAZLET (6) 0 1060 0

HOLMDEL(3) 0 240 0

HOWELL (29) 12980 0 0

KEYPORT (5) 0 615 0

LITTLE SILVER (1) 0 60 72

MANALAPAN (8) 4854 0 0

MARLBORO (9) 3535 0 0

MATAWAN (4) 0 785 0

MIDDLETOWN (17) 0 8876 200

MILLSTONE (3) 1200 0 0

MONMOUTH BEACH (2) 0 140 95

OCEAN (3) 720 0 0

OCEANPORT (1) 160 0 0

RUMSON (4) 0 398 233

TINTON FALLS (3) 476 0 0

UNION BEACH (9) 0 3170 0

UPPER FREEHOLD (6) 1077 0 0

WALL (1) 628 0 0

COUNTY TOTAL 33600 19240 600

Figure 7. 2017 Aerial Larviciding, pounds per municipality

ADULTICIDING (AKA ADULT MOSQUITO CONTROL) The MCMCD considers adulticiding solely as a supplemental treatment method to prevent the transmission of mosquito-borne disease or to reduce the number of biting adults during periods of excessive nuisance. There are many logistical obstacles faced with this method of application, including: time sensitivity, limitations regarding climatic conditions, extensive planning and preparation, human activity during application, and environmental sensitivity. For these reasons, the MCMCD relies heavily on routine inspections, larviciding, and source control as our primary means of mosquito abatement. The MCMCD used two different adulticides in 2017 during the course of ten applications throughout the county. Duet (EPA # 2724-791), and Zenivex E4 RTU (EPA #2724-807) are synthetic pyrethroids that are used for fast-acting, permanent knockdown of adult mosquitoes. The pesticides are applied using an ultra-low volume (ULV) cold aerosol generator (Clarke Cougar®, shown above) that is truck-mounted, and disperses the pesticide in a fine mist at a controlled rate. Four of the six applications made in 2017 were in response to a heightened public health threat from West Nile Virus- as evidenced by confirmed human cases and positive mosquito pools. One application was made due to a EEE positive mosquito pool, and the other application to reduce nuisance. Table 9 lists the details of each adulticide application. In total, 5.2 gallons of product was used to treat 692.77 acres of Monmouth County. During the 2017 mosquito season, the MCMCD did not conduct any aerial ULV adulticiding applications.

Table 9. 2017 Adult Mosquito Control Operations in Monmouth County.

Date Municipality Time of

Application Product

Amount (Gal.)

Acres Treated

7/26 Freehold Twp. 5:00 A - 6:00 A Duet 0.19 74.34

8/11 Aberdeen 5:00 A - 6:00 A Zenivex E4 RTU < 0.1* 2.63

8/16 Middletown Twp 11:00 P - 1:00 A Duet 0.98 181.19

8/21 Deal 4:00 A-6:00 A Zenivex E4 RTU 1.72 130.08

9/27 Keansburg 11:00 P – 2:00 A Duet 1.89 265.46

9/29 Freehold Twp. 6:00 A – 7:00 A Duet 0.32 39.07

*Note: Mechanical failure occurred, minimum value of meter

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL PROGRAM The MCMCD uses predaceous fish as a biological control tool where mosquito populations are controlled simply by the fish eating mosquito larvae. Several species of fish, notably Gambusia affinis (mosquito fish) and Pimephales promelus (fathead minnow) are supplied by the Charles O. Hayford State Hatchery through funding by the NJDEP Office of Mosquito Control Coordination. All sites are approved for stocking by the OMCC. The MCMCD conducts an initial stocking each season upon receipt of the fish from the hatchery. Several thousand fish are also set aside in the Division’s Tinton Falls pond for use during the season. As derelict pools are reported by the public, inspectors collect fish from the pond and deliver them to the site. Once stocked, a site becomes self-sufficient and requires only occasional monitoring instead of routine treatment. The MCMCD finds these fish ideally suited for use in derelict swimming pools and ornamental ponds. Other uses have included rain barrels and woodland pools. In 2017, the inspectors stocked approximately 5,000 fish at the sites listed below.

Table 10. 2017 Site locations in Monmouth County stocked with fish for mosquito control.

DATE MUNICIPALITY SITE SPECIES # STOCKED NOTES

4/20/17 COLTS NECK 5 CEDAR DRIVE Pimephales promelas 50 SWIMMING POOL

4/20/17 COLTS NECK 76 HEULIT ROAD Pimephales promelas 50 SWIMMING POOL

4/25/17 COLTS NECK LEFT OF #140 HEULIT ROAD Pimephales promelas 20 WOODLAND POOL

4/20/17 LINCROFT SOUTHBROOK DRIVE Pimephales promelas 30 SWIMMING POOL

4/20/17 MARLBORO 2 FOXCROFT DRIVE Pimephales promelas 50 SWIMMING POOL

4/20/17 MARLBORO 67 RIVER DRIVE Pimephales promelas 50 SWIMMING POOL

4/20/17 MARLBORO 30 BROOKSIDE CIRCLE Pimephales promelas 50 SWIMMING POOL

4/20/17 TINTON FALLS 11 KENT PLACE Pimephales promelas 30 SWIMMING POOL

4/20/17 LINCROFT 118 ORCHARD HILL DRIVE Pimephales promelas 30 SWIMMING POOL

4/25/17 MIDDLETOWN 63 STAVOLA DRIVE Pimephales promelas 20 SWIMMING POOL

4/25/17 MIDDLETOWN 19 GARRYFORD DRIVE Pimephales promelas 50 WOODLAND POOL

4/15/17 RUMSON 66 BELLEVUE AVENUE Gambusia affinis 300 POND

4/15/17 OCEAN TOWNSHIP END OF CHARLES COURT Gambusia affinis 500 WOODLAND POOL

4/14/17 LITTLE SILVER 24 BENNETT LANE Gambusia affinis 100 ORNAMENTAL POND

4/20/17 HOWELL 287 LANE’S POND ROAD Gambusia affinis 600 2 PONDS

4/20/17 HOWELL 299 LANE’S POND ROAD Gambusia affinis 350 POND

4/20/17 HOWELL PESKIN RD MANASQUAN

RESERVOIR Gambusia affinis 1,100 WOODLAND POOLS

4/20/17 HOWELL 542 WEST FARMS ROAD Gambusia affinis 200 POND

4/20/17 MILLSTONE 9 PETER’S COURT Gambusia affinis 500 POND

4/20/17 MANALAPAN 91 McCAFFREY ROAD Gambusia affinis 400 POND

4/20/17 FARMINGDALE SPRITE ROAD Gambusia affinis 500 POND IN WOODS

TOTAL 4980

TIRE RETRIEVAL PROGRAM Tires without rims located outdoors are notorious mosquito-producing habitats due to the small amount of water retained in the tire after rain events. Tires support many species of mosquitoes that thrive in containers but particularly support the Asian tiger mosquito, an aggressive, day-time biter. In fact, some experts theorize this invasive mosquito entered the United States through the tire retreading industry with Asian countries. Since 1995, the Mosquito Control Division personnel have collected tires encountered in the field or at residences and placed them in a covered trailer at Division headquarters. Funding for the trailer, transport and disposal of the tires is provided through Recycling Enhancement Act entitlements managed by the Solid Waste Coordinator within the Monmouth County Reclamation Center. With an estimate of 10,000 mosquitoes potentially produced by each tire over the course of a season, the impact of removing any tire is significant to the local area. Mosquito Madness! Playing on the phrase “March Madness,” the Mosquito Control Division launched “Mosquito Madness” over the winter and spring of 2016. Mosquito Madness is a program where the Division offers homeowners free pick-up of rimless tires in a targeted neighborhood. In 2017, the targeted community was Howell Township. MCMCD personnel blanketed residential neighborhoods with container mosquito door hangers with the “Mosquito Madness” flyer attached. Although labor intensive, the door-to-door effort allowed one-on-one educational opportunities and increased visibility for the program The Township of Howell allowed a roll-on/roll-off trailer to be staged at their Public Works yard to make pick-up more efficient.

As Howell Township is historically a more rural part of the county, many residential property owners with old piles of tires took advantage of this free service with 336 tires retrieved. Clean Communities Partnership In early spring, the Monmouth County Solid Waste Enforcement program informed the MCMCD about an area in Marlboro Township near the Henry Hudson Trail where several hundred tires and other junk had been dumped. No one claimed responsibility or even

land ownership. Through the County Clean Communities program, inmates were brought in to expand the labor force. A roll-off/roll-on trailer was brought onsite. Two of our inspectors participated using

Figure 8.

the State Mosquito Control Commission–owned John Deere gator to transport the tires from the field to the trailer. In this effort, ~500 tires were removed from the environment. This combination of resources was applied to 4 other sites in Manalapan, 2 in Howell and Neptune City with a total of 1280 tires removed. In addition, field personnel continued to remove tires they encountered during requests for service or routine inspections, adding 453 tires making the final total 2069 tires for the year (Figure 8), dwarfing last year’s total of 462. WATER MANAGEMENT Our water management program strives to reduce larval mosquito habitat primarily by maintaining drainage ditches, streams, stormwater basins and ponds. The intention of water management projects is to improve water flow, deepen pond habitat or otherwise manage the water to create a hostile environment for mosquito larvae. Common projects include removing fallen trees and other blockages from waterways, maintaining streams and ditches, and excavating accumulated sediment from eutrophic ponds. Projects are initiated either in known areas of chronic mosquito breeding or through a request for service where the potential for mosquito breeding is substantiated by mosquito inspectors, or wetlands specialist. These activities are regulated by NJDEP Division of Land Use Regulation and the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Mosquito Control Division has countywide permits which allow these projects to move forward. For projects conducted under our countywide permits, the MCD must prepare and keep on file site-specific project documentation including GIS-generated maps, a written description justifying the project, photos of the current field conditions of the site, and a threatened and endangered species review. For coastal wetlands and tidal waters, the Commission works under a NJDEP Waterfront Development permit and USACOE permit. As a condition of the USACOE permit, MCD must send the site-specific information to the USACOE, NJDEP, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service and USEPA for review. Mosquito surveillance and control data must also be included. If no objections are made by these agencies, the USACOE provides written authorization for each project. Table 11. Mosquito Control Division Water Management Permits

Agency Permit type Authorizes Extent Expires

USACOE Dredging Tidal ditch cleaning/open marsh water management countywide 2022 NJDEP Waterfront Development and WQ Cert. Tidal ditch cleaning/open marsh water management countywide 2020

NJDEP Freshwater Wetlands GP-1/ WQ Cert Maintenance of man-made ditches and stormwater facilities countywide 2020

NJDEP Freshwater Wetlands GP-15 for mosquito control

Modifying natural streams and wetlands areas for mosquito control countywide 2020

NJDEP Flood Hazard Area Individual Working in existing natural streams and wetlands to reduce mosquito larvae habitat

countywide 2020

NJDEP Flood Hazard Area permit-by-rule Removal of large obstacle from stream using heavy equipment N/A N/A N/A None Removal of blocks and snags using hand tools N/A N/A

In addition, the countywide FWW GP15 establishes a review procedure of each project by the Office of Mosquito Control Coordination as well as a public notice process. Recent mosquito data are needed to substantiate each project. Therefore, at least 5 mosquito trapping events over two months were conducted at each site already identified for potential water management projects. Over the 2017 season, MCMCD collected adult mosquitoes at 7 sites listed below to support projects.

While the MCMCD prepares and coordinates water management projects, the physical work is implemented by Highway Division and/or Shade Tree Division personnel using Public Works & Engineering equipment. This arrangement began in 2014 and has made available additional equipment and resources to efficiently complete the projects in accordance with permit conditions. Highway Division employees, in coordination with the MCD Wetlands Specialist, use the "Best Management Practices for Mosquito Control and Freshwater Wetlands Management," an official publication of the State Mosquito Control Commission and the NJDEP as a guide for conducting water management activities.

Inspections for projects are typically initiated by referral from a mosquito inspector or at the request of a private citizen or municipal official. For all water management projects to proceed, the conditions of the stream, wetland or stormwater basin must support the production of mosquito larvae. The most notable project conducted in 2017 was In Marlboro Township. Internally it was known as Colts Run and was conducted on Tepehemus Brook. Behind homes on the north side of Colts Run and Steeplechase Drive, a section of Tepehemus Brook had become heavily silted in to the point that the brooks channel was indiscernible for approximately 700 feet. These conditions caused stormwater flows in the brook to overtop the banks, saturate the floodplain soils, and trap surface water in the floodplain. With nowhere to drain to, the trapped surface water in the floodplain became suitable habitat for larval mosquitoes. In addition, floodwaters spilled into low-lying sections of residential properties creating habitat

Table 12. 2017 Mosquito Surveillance Locations for Water Management Projects

Location Municipality(s) Waterway Associated Waterway

Waackaack Creek/ Middle Road Hazlet Waackaack Creek Waackaack Creek

Pep Boys Hazlet Chingarora Creek Chingarora Creek

88 Hazlet Avenue Hazlet Chingarora Creek Chingarora Creek

Sickles Farm Little Silver Trib to Little Silver Creek Little Silver Creek

98 Lehigh Drive Lincroft/ Middletown Trib to Nut Swamp Brook Nut Swamp Brook

Pearl Street Middletown Unnamed ditch Crystal Lake/Pews Cr

Wall Street Wall Judas Creek Mac Pond/Watson Creek

Table 13. 2017 Water Management Project Inspections

Location Municipality

Aberdeen Vo-Tech School Aberdeen

Hospitality Way Englishtown

4th

Creek Pump Station Fair Haven

Morello Court Howell

Sickles Park Little Silver

Wardell Street Long Branch

Gordon’s Corner Fire Dept. Manalapan

Pease Road Manalapan

Westbrook Way Manalapan

Robertsville Fire Dept. Marlboro

517 Tennent Road Marlboro

98 Lehigh Drive Lincroft/Middletown

Brookdale Community College basin Lincroft/Middletown

Blackberry Bay Park Oceanport

Bridgewaters Drive Oceanport

Cayuga Avenue Oceanport

Gooseneck Point Road Oceanport

Maple Place School Oceanport

Myrtle Avenue Oceanport

South Pemberton Ave/Whitehall Circle Oceanport

151 Ridge Road Rumson

Henry Street/Bayshore Outfall Authority Union Beach

Wall Street Wall

adjacent to outdoor activities of area residents. Surveillance of mosquitoes in these areas produced positive results for West Nile virus in the local mosquitoes. To initiate the project, the first order of business at this site was to justify the need for a water management in regard to mosquito control. Surveillance trapping was conducted and the NJDEP Office of Mosquito Control Coordination conducted a field inspection to verify the site was a mosquito habitat. Next, a full project package (mapping and scope of work) were prepared in compliance with the Divisions countywide Freshwater Wetlands General Permit 15 and Flood Hazard Area Individual permit and submitted to NJDEP. Additionally, an exemption from the Chapter 251 Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control was requested and obtained from Freehold Soil Conservation District. Land Use Regulation reviewed the materials and approved the project to move forward.

Once the project began it was completed over the course of only a few days. The equipment operator removed the sediment and other obstructions from the channel and restored normal stream flow to the brook. Additionally, a stormwater outfall ditch associated with the stormwater system from the adjacent neighborhood was de-silted. The restoration of the ditch allowed the stormwater-filled catch basins in the upstream storm sewer system to empty to the outfall and drain to the brook. Sediment removed from the stream and ditch was spread thinly and far enough away that it wouldn’t end up back in the waterways. Finally, the sediment was stabilized using an approved wetland seed mixture. The restoration of the brook and ditch including the emptying of the neighborhood stormwater system eliminated significant larval mosquito habitat. Tepehemus Brook and the stormwater ditch will continue to be monitored throughout the 2018 mosquito season to ensure that the stream channel remains open for base and storm flows and that the nuisance mosquito population associated with the formerly obstructed waterway and ditch has been abated.

Table 14. Water Management Projects Completed in 2017 Municipality/location Type of work Permit Authorization

Manalapan

Gordons Corner Fire Dept De-snagging FWW GP1

Pease Road De-silting De-snagging FWW GP1

Westbrook Way De-silting De-snagging FWW GP1

Marlboro

Colts Run De-silting De-snagging FHA IP/ FWW GP15

Middletown

Henry Hudson Trail De-silting De-snagging FHA IP/ FWW GP1

Stream-cleaning project for mosquito control, Marlboro

Township. View looking downstream.

PUBLIC RELATIONS/EDUCATION The Division participated in a number of municipal community days in Manalapan, Marlboro, Hazlet Middletown and Eatontown. In addition, the Division had a table at the Master Gardeners’ Birds and Bugs event, Thompson Park Day and the County Fair. For the second year, the Division rotated a tabletop display with related brochures on a weekly basis throughout the County library system. Many of our public relations/education efforts were teamed up with the Monmouth County Health Department or the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission. In the spring, MCMCD had a table at the Howell Health Fair. In addition, brochures, coloring books and “Fight the Bite” sheriff badges were shared with the Department of Health to distribute at appropriate events. As part of the Request for Service inspection, inspectors often leave brochures about containers around the home that could hold water and produce mosquitoes. Social media posts by the Public Information Office were created to remind people to dump water and wear repellent to protect themselves and their families. Currently, the MCMCD has the following hand-outs to share with the public: Mosquito Habitat Checklist Repellents flyer What You Need to Know About Mosquitoes Protect your Pets from Heartworm Mosquitoes Bites are Bad! (coloring book and crayons) Mosquitoes and You Activity Book Tick ID cards and magnets Fight the Bite sheriff badges PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND EDUCATION Eleven employees attended all or part of the New Jersey Mosquito Control Association’s Annual meeting and Conference. The 2017 conference theme was celebrating the women of New Jersey Mosquito Control. Acting Superintendent Victoria Thompson gave a presentation entitled Mosquito Control Efforts in West Belmar, A Taste of What’s Yet to Come?” reflecting on various control strategies applied to a small area demonstrated the intense effort it would take to address Zika virus or other new virus. Eight employees also attended NJMCA’s Professional Pesticide Training class. Both the training class and annual conference provide opportunity for employees to get recertification credits needed for their license. Anthony Notaroberto and Donald Russo, Inspector Trainees, took Pesticide Core training and successfully passed their tests to obtain their applicator licenses. In addition, Entomologists Anthony Acquaviva and Kyle Cole attended an Insecticide Resistance workshop learning the methodology to measure pesticide resistance in local mosquitoes. Ms. Thompson attended the NJ Department of Health’s Zika Conference: Public Health Updates and Resources for New Jersey Communities. Ms. Thompson also attended a seminar on NJDEP’s new Flood Hazard Area rules.

NAVAL WEAPONS STATION CONTRACT Beginning in 2002, the United States Navy has contracted with the MCMCD to conduct adult mosquito population and vector surveillance along with larval control at the two bases that comprise Naval Weapons Station-Earle (NWSE). One base (Waterfront Complex) is located in the Leonardo section of Middletown Township and the other base (Mainside) is situated in Colt’s Neck Township. In 2017, three MCMCD personnel had access to the bases: two inspectors, one for each base, and one seasonal surveillance technician for both bases. The inspectors were responsible for inspection and treatment and the seasonal employee was tasked with NJLT collections and WNV live trapping. This activity ran from May until October. Mosquito Surveillance There were four NJLTs placed at the NWSE bases. The Waterfront Complex had one trap while the Mainside base received the other three. These sites had been selected by NWSE personnel at the inception of the program and have remained essentially unchanged for data consistency. Collections were made daily Monday through Friday from May until October. These samples were sorted and identified by the entomologist at the MCMCD laboratory and the data recorded in Excel spreadsheets. These data are not comingled with data from the other NJLT in operation throughout the county. One GRA and one CDC trap are set once a week at each base. Collections are made the following day and the samples brought back to the laboratory. The mosquitoes are identified and pooled and the results recorded. Pools are submitted to the PHEL or may be RAMP tested at the MCMCD laboratory. There were a total of 107 trapping events this season yielding 188 pools. 142 pools were sent to PHEL and 107 were tested at the MCMCD. There were no detections of West Nile virus through RT-PCR but RAMP recorded three positive pools; one at Mainside and two at waterfront. Mosquito Treatment The inspectors visited each base twice a month for inspection and treatment checking their lists of sites supporting mosquito larvae that have been established over the years. Additional sites are occasionally reported by base personnel are evaluated on an individual basis. Portions of tidal marsh owned by the Navy adjacent to the Waterfront base are also part of airblocks treated for mosquito larvae by helicopter. No adulticiding was completed on base this season. Reporting The entomologist submits a monthly report via mail to the Officer in Charge of Contracts that includes a summary, copy of the NJLT data spreadsheets, copies of the inspectors’ larviciding records, and a table of man-hours spent by MCMCD personnel conducting surveillance and inspection/treatment. Final reports and financial documentation is submitted with an invoice by the Acting Superintendent. For 2017, the County received $18,900 for this service contract.

Figure. 9. Total weekly tick submissions, 2006 – 2017.

Figure 10. Cumulative total tick submissions, 2006 – 2017. Submissions during 2017 were markedly lower than in 2015-2016.

TICK-BORNE DISEASES PROGRAM - 2017 The tick identification service offered to the public continued to be a primary component of the Division’s Tick-borne Diseases Program. During 2005-2016, the Program offered testing of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say), upon request, for infection with Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, at our cooperative MCMCD laboratory, at Rutgers University’s Center for Vector Biology. The tick-testing program was initiated as a research project to assess the prevalence of Lyme disease bacteria in blacklegged ticks in the County. Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of County residents in this passive surveillance program, this information is now well established. Beginning in 2017, in order to further or mission of understanding tick-borne disease risk in Monmouth County, we began concentrating our resources on studying the prevalence and geographic distribution of other tick-borne diseases in addition to Lyme disease. This will be accomplished through a new County-wide program of active surveillance on public lands, to include multiple tick species and multiple tick-borne diseases. Refocusing the Program will enable us to better educate County residents about the full array of tick-borne diseases found in Monmouth County and to expand the reach of the Program to all County residents. TICK IDENTIFICATION SERVICES By the end of 2017, total submissions (1,058) were 61% higher than the 2006-2014 average for the program (658.9 ± 126.0), but ≈20% below the average of the last two years (2015-2016) (1,325 ± 124.5). Weekly submissions have exceeded long term weekly averages in 32 of 53 weeks (60%), but in only 15 of 53 weeks (28%) compared to the last two years. In fact, since July 30, submissions this year (96) are below the long-term average (114.1 ± 24.9) and well below the last two years (185.5 ± 16.3) (Figures 9 and 10). Submissions have included 250 (23.6%) blacklegged ticks, 497 (46.9%) lone star ticks, and 311 (29.5%) American dog ticks. Lone star tick nymphs comprised about 25% of all submissions. These relative numbers are similar to species composition in 2016 and continue a trend in submissions observed during the last several years of the Program, with blacklegged ticks making up a lower percentage of submissions overall, American dog tick submissions increasing over time, and lone star tick comprising a significant majority of all tick submissions (Figure 11). During the peak disease transmission season, blacklegged tick submissions were dwarfed by submissions of other tick species (Figure 12).

In particular, during May-July, the peak season for tick-borne disease transmission in Monmouth County and when we typically see 60-70% of all submissions for the year, lone star ticks comprised 54.6% of all submissions in 2017, with black-legged and American dog ticks comprising 12.03% and 33.38% respectively (Figure 12). Nymphal lone star ticks were by far the most commonly submitted tick. More tellingly, 60.8% of lone star nymphs were either partially or fully engorged. This compares with only 42.3% of nymphal black-legged ticks. These increases in encounters with ticks other than black-legged ticks, and the apparently high likelihood of being bitten by these ticks, appear to mirror the state- and county-wide increase in reported tick-borne illness other than Lyme disease, which have nearly doubled in the last 10 years. The relative role of the three species in overall tick-borne disease risk experienced by County residents is being investigated as part of the active surveillance program that seeks to map the current distribution of lone star ticks across the County (see below). Since the program change, 81 ticks (7.7% of all submissions) have been retrieved by people who submitted them (presumably for testing at an independent lab). Of those, 47 (58%) were blacklegged ticks, 24 (29.6%) were lone star ticks, and 10 (12.4%) were American dog ticks. Only 19% of blacklegged ticks submitted for identification since the program change have been retrieved. It is interesting to compare this with 2016, when 98.8% of people submitting blacklegged ticks had the tick tested by the Program lab (when testing was offered for a nominal fee). ACTIVE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM Despite the seasonably warm and dry weather this spring and summer, the data suggest that human-tick encounters are no greater than last year and below submissions during the last two years in most weeks. This is counter to many published warnings during the early spring that 2017 would be a “very bad year for ticks.” In fact, as a comparison with the passive surveillance program, tick collections at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck (where ticks have been monitored since 1986) also indicates that blacklegged tick numbers this year were substantially lower than in previous years (Figure 13.) Despite some variation between years, there has been no upward trend in tick populations over the last 12 years.

Figure 11. Annual trends in species composition of ticks submitted 2006-2017.

Figure 12. 2017 monthly submissions of three medically-important ticks.

Density of questing nymphs did not vary significantly between years for either blacklegged or lone star ticks, with two exceptions:

Lone star tick density was significantly lower than the long‐term average in 2006 (F(11,300) = 2.08; P = 0.02).

Black legged tick density is below the long‐term average in 2017 (F(11,300) = 2.52; P < 0.01).

Overall, however, there has been no evidence of any long-term increase in tick numbers in over a decade. 2017 was the first year of our new active surveillance program on public lands. The first step in any successful surveillance program is careful site selection, so this year ticks were collected from a wide range of potential sites in Monmouth (Figure. 14). Ticks were most abundant in the southern part of the county and the most common tick at these sites was lone star ticks, consistent with historical patterns and expectations. Currently these ticks are being processed by our laboratory (see below) and patterns of infection will be analyzed to determine which sites are most suitable for long term monitoring.

Figure 13. Numbers of field-collected host-seeking nymphal ticks at NWS Earle, Colts Neck, 2006-2017.

Figure 14. Relative numbers of ticks collected from 19 sites in Monmouth County, 2017. Size of pie is proportional to total abundance of ticks.

TICK PROGRAM LABORATORY General lab updates During 2017, the lab has continued to upgrade equipment and capabilities, specifically to support the processing of large numbers of ticks now being collected via our new active surveillance program. The largest upgrade was purchase of a large plate centrifuge(right) allowing DNA extractions in batches of 192 (two 96-well plates) significantly improving the throughput of our extraction capabilities as the prior centrifuge could only process in batches of 18. The lab has continued to track preventative maintenance and service contracts for lab equipment to maintain them in working order. Lab personnel completed online refresher Laboratory Safety and Bloodborne Pathogens training with Rutgers Environmental Health & Safety (REHS) on Oct 24, 2017. The lab was audited by REHS on Oct 12, 2017 and is in compliance with lab safety regulations. Processing of active surveillance specimens Currently the lab has optimized species-specific multiplex real time PCR assays for the following pathogens: Borrelia burgdorferi, B. miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, Rickettsia amblyommatis, and ‘Panola mountain’ ehrlichia, along with more general genus-specific assays for Borrelia sp., Rickettsia sp., and Anaplasmataceae (contains Anaplasma and Ehrlichia). Following assay optimization processing of 2017 active surveillance specimens is now underway. To date 634 Ixodes scapularis have been processed for DNA isolation and qPCRs have been performed to detect 4 different pathogens. Across all sites infection prevalence in Ixodes scapularis nymphs for B. burgdorferi was 14.02%, for Babesia microti 8.81%, for Anaplasma phagocytophilum 14.51%, and for Borrelia miyamotoi 3.47%. These numbers are within the expected range based on prior surveys. More of interest, however, will be any potential spatial trends within the county, which are still being mapped and analyzed in preparation for this year’s collection season. The 1,000+ Amblyomma americanum ticks collected last year are still in process. Professional Engagement Involvement with graduate students and professors at Rutgers Due to the lab’s location on the campus at Rutgers University, it presents many opportunities to collaborate with students and faculty, both raising the lab’s profile and securing the contributions of highly accomplished scientists and external funding towards research goals benefiting the County. Dr. Egizi is an adjunct faculty member of the Entomology Department and as such is eligible to serve on the committees of graduate students. Currently she is helping to supervise James Occi, a Ph.D. student

Newly purchased Qiagen plate centrifuge (right) for high

throughput processing of ticks, next to existing centrifuge (left).

studying tick-borne Rickettsia pathogens in New Jersey. Cases of spotted fever group rickettsiosis have been increasing in New Jersey and in Monmouth County and due to cross-reactivity in human tests, little is known about the specific bacterial species (and tick vectors) responsible. Jim’s project will help fill a needed knowledge gap improving tick-borne disease prevention efforts. In 2017, Dr. Egizi wrote three grant proposals with Rutgers University faculty members, two of which were funded, including a proposal for a state-wide “Tick Blitz” collection effort to increase awareness of the need for tick surveillance in NJ. Several ongoing collaborations with Rutgers faculty and scientists at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and Smithsonian National Zoo have resulted in publications currently under peer review (see Publications). Dr. Egizi also co-authored a New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station Fact Sheet on lone star ticks.

In November 2017 the lab played a key role in the discovery of an exotic tick, Haemaphysalis longicornis, (photo left) that was found on a sheep in Hunterdon County.The lab performed DNA barcoding analysis to reveal the species, which was subsequently confirmed by morphological examination at the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory. This species is native to east Asia and invasive populations are found in Australia, New Zealand, and several Pacific islands. Multiple life stages of this species were found on the sheep, which had no history of travel outside the country. This occurrence is the first of its kind reported for this species in the US.

Meeting attendance At the Entomological Society of America’s annual meeting in Denver, CO on November 5-8, 2017, Dr. Egizi presented on a project examining ospC strains of Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, in passive vs. active collected ticks in Monmouth County (Fig. 15). HIS strains are more likely to cause severe illness in humans compared to non-HIS strains, and the finding that ticks submitted by the public had a higher proportion of HIS strains than active field collected ticks has implications for the types of environments where human risk is greatest.

Close-up of Haemaphysalis longicornis larva

(actual size is < 1 mm) taken with lab microscope

(purchased in 2016).

Figure 15. Proportion of Human Invasive Strains (HIS) of Borrelia

burgdorferi in Monmouth County 2013-2016.

Both Drs. Jordan and Egizi are members of the New Jersey Vector-borne Disease Working Group and chair its subcommittee on tick-borne diseases. As part of this group, staff will continue to provide expertise and to develop educational and outreach materials for County and state residents concerning tick ecology and tick-borne disease. OTHER PROJECTS

During 2017 Program biologists, in collaboration with researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published the results of field trials (conducted in 2014-2016) of commercially available host-targeted methods of tick control in a residential area in Millstone Township. Program biologists also participated in a third year of CDC-sponsored field trials of over-the-counter (OTC), general use pesticides to control vector ticks. Various liquid concentrate hose-end, ready-to-spray

formulations, readily available for purchase and use by homeowners, were applied to study plots at Naval Weapons Station (NWS) Earle in Colts Neck Township. Results (Figure 15) showed that these commonly available pesticides provided better than 90% control of both black-legged and lone star ticks at 1 d post-application, but suppression decreased monotonically through 3 wk after the application. We showed that these over-the-counter acaricides, when applied using hose-end, ready-to-spray formulations, were not as effective as the same products applied either by back-pack sprayer or in granular formulations. We judge that the apparent lack of efficacy beyond 7 d was due to difficulty in achieving uniform application of material across treated plots. PRESENTATIONS November 2017. Strains of Borrelia burgdorferi identified in Ixodes scapularis nymphs collected during active and passive surveillance in Monmouth County, NJ. Oral presentation. Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. Dr. Egizi was interviewed on a CDC podcast discussing the tick program’s recent publication on the relative risk of Lyme disease and ehrlichiosis in Monmouth County: https://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=8646345 PUBLICATIONS Schulze, T.L., R.A. Jordan, M. Williams, and M.C. Dolan 2017. Evaluation of the SELECT Tick Control System (TCS), a host-targeted bait box, to reduce exposure to Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) in a Lyme disease endemic area of New Jersey. J. Med. Entomol. 54: 1019-1024.

Figure 15 . Effects of OTC applications against blacklegged ticks (BLT) and lone star ticks (LST) at NWS Earle, Colts Neck, NJ

Egizi, A., N.H. Fefferman, and R.A. Jordan. 2017. Relative risk for ehrlichiosis and Lyme disease in an area where vectors for both are sympatric, New Jersey, USA. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 23: 939-945. Egizi A, Roegner VE, Faraji A, Healy SP, Schulze TL, Jordan RA. 2018. A historical snapshot of Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens in New Jersey ticks reflects a changing disease landscape. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases (in press) Occi J, Egizi A, Fonseca DM. 2018. Lone star ticks in New Jersey: risk, ecology and prevention. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet No. (in press). New Brunswick, New Jersey 4 pp. Rainey T, Occi JL, Robbins RG, Egizi A. 2018. Discovery of Haemaphysalis longicornis (Ixodida:Ixodidae) parasitizing a sheep in New Jersey, USA. (in press) Goodman H, Egizi A, Fonseca DM, Leisnham PT, LaDeau SL. Primary blood-hosts of mosquitoes are influenced by social and ecological conditions in a complex urban landscape. Revision submitted, Parasites & Vectors. Egizi A, Martinsen ES, Vuong H, Zimmerman KI, Faraji A, Fonseca DM. Native invaders present health risks but also opportunities to study reclusive wildlife. Under review, EcoHealth