Union County Mosquito Control is spraying 13 county and municipal parks early Wednesday, July 22, as West Nile virus detections rise across the county this season.
Crews will treat parks between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m., weather permitting, according to a Union County press release published Monday, July 21. The operation targets parks in Clark, Cranford, Elizabeth, Hillside, Linden, Mountainside, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle, Scotch Plains, and Westfield.
No Summit-area parks are on the July 22 schedule. But the county has sprayed locally twice already this summer, including areas near the Summit Recycling Center on Thursday, June 18, and again on Thursday, July 2, when crews also treated sections of Berkeley Heights and New Providence.
West Nile virus found in 10 of 50 samples
The spraying comes as the county reports increased virus activity. Of 50 mosquito samples submitted for testing since late May, 10 have tested positive for West Nile virus, according to Sean Devaney, chief of mosquito control for Union County. No human cases have been reported in the county this season.
"Recent rain events and lunar tides have caused an uptick in the mosquito numbers, and we have just started to see increased West Nile virus activity," Devaney said in a July 14 interview with Patch, explaining the broader seasonal trend.
Devaney said the county's approach includes source reduction, larval control, and adult mosquito spraying. His team reevaluates conditions daily and targets areas showing the highest mosquito abundance and virus activity.
Parks on the July 22 schedule
County parks: Oak Ridge (Clark), Nomahegan (Cranford), Matano (Elizabeth), Conant (Hillside), Wheeler (Linden), Echo Lake (Mountainside), Cedar Brook and Green Brook (Plainfield), Rahway (Rahway), Warinanco (Roselle), Ponderosa (Scotch Plains).
Municipal parks: Alkalla (Linden), Milt Campbell (Plainfield), Tamaques (Westfield).
How to protect yourself
County officials recommend removing standing water from buckets, planters, birdbaths, and other outdoor containers where mosquitoes breed. Residents spending time outdoors should use insect repellent containing DEET.
Residents with questions about the spraying schedule can call the Union County Office of Mosquito Control at 908-654-9834 or 908-654-9835.
