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Mosquito swarms sucking all the fun out of summer in the Rockaways

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Mosquito swarms sucking all the fun out of summer in the Rockaways

 

BY Lisa L. Colangelo

NY DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Wednesday, July 6th 2011

 

"Mention summer in Rockaway and most people will conjure up carefree images of sunbathers and surfers.

 

But just a few short miles from the beaches, playgrounds sit empty and patio furniture is off-limits as summer has been hijacked by swarms of mosquitoes.

 

"It's bad," said Charlene Tolliver, one of the few people who ventured outside the Ocean Bay Houses on a recent hot afternoon. "My grandson was bit so many times we can't let him outside."

 

For years, local officials and the city have locked horns over the mosquito problem, which hits Bayswater, Arverne, Edgemere and other sections close to Jamaica Bay especially hard.

 

"I put money in the budget for spraying. I even offered to buy a spraying truck if it was mostly used in the district," said City Councilman James Sanders Jr. (D-Laurelton), whose office is flooded with calls from angry, bitten and itchy constituents. "The city says it doesn't do so-called nuisance spraying."

 

Decades ago, pesticides were used freely in parts of the Rockaways and elsewhere to control mosquitoes. But that was stopped due to environmental concerns and other issues.

 

The city sprays larvicide in marshy areas and catch basins to cut down on the number of mosquito eggs in the area. But it only sprays pesticide to kill adult mosquitoes if West Nile virus has been detected.

 

"No West Nile virus activity has been detected in any of the mosquitoes collected in the city," according the Health Department. "Should West Nile virus become persistent in the Rockaways, the Department of Health will spray for the control of mosquitoes to reduce the risk of West Nile virus."

 

That answer doesn't sit well with people who spend their summers fighting bugs instead of enjoying the warm, long nights.

 

"This is a health hazard and a quality of life issue," said Jonathan Gaska, district manager of Community Board 14, who has long complained about the mosquito problem.

 

"We're in the impossible situation of almost hoping we get West Nile-positive mosquitoes or dead birds here so they will spray," Gaska added. "It's silly that government is like that."

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2011/07/06/2011-07-06_skeeter_madness_rockaways_residents_itch_for_pest_relief.htm

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B35 via Church

B35 via Church

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I wouldn't worry about the mosquitoes out there... being around large bodies of water, there are dragonfly swarms as well... I don't know about Far Rockaway, but I know for a fact that they swarm throughout Rockaway Park & Neponsit....

 

top of the food chain for a dragonfly... you guessed it - mosquitoes.

 

 

but dragonflies are... bigger... and muh muh... menacing

perhaps, but they're not aggressive insects; and their bites are harmless for the most part.... they don't sting.... better yet, they have a short adult life span (I'd say around a month).... you don't have to worry about CLEANUP ON AISLE 5 either; dragonflies emerge from the water, and they die in the water......

 

the mosquito problem will play itself out out there..... no sense in sprayin pesticides & other chemicals (which can be harmful to humans) all over the place.... besides, if they're worried about QoL in the eastern part of the Rockaways, a freakin mosquito is the LAST thing they should be worried about !

 

Now if there are mosquito swarms where there's no lakes/rivers/oceans nearby (say w/i the central part of one of the boroughs), I'd be more worried....

 

Yeah, I actually wanted to become an exterminator.... most people are afraid of flying insects; me, I find em quite interesting....

 

....after I kill em.

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Quill Depot

Quill Depot

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I ain't the one who puts bug repellent on

I ain't the one who loves Skeeters

 

I'm the one who gets bit a lot.

And I'm dat' one who HATES Skeeters

 

- Jimmy (Misquito Hater)

 

P.S. I don't want chemicals on my body from Bug Repellent.

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Messino

Messino

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Its called nature, any where there are puddles of water there will be mosquitos. People need to stop being babies and just deal with it. Spraying chemicals isnt the answer. Just be happy we dont live in a third world country where you have to worry about getting molaria from mosquitos.

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553 Bridgeton Bus Operator

553 Bridgeton

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I wouldn't worry about the mosquitoes out there... being around large bodies of water, there are dragonfly swarms as well... I don't know about Far Rockaway, but I know for a fact that they swarm throughout Rockaway Park & Neponsit....

 

top of the food chain for a dragonfly... you guessed it - mosquitoes.

 

 

but dragonflies are... bigger... and muh muh... menacing

perhaps, but they're not aggressive insects; and their bites are harmless for the most part.... they don't sting.... better yet, they have a short adult life span (I'd say around a month).... you don't have to worry about CLEANUP ON AISLE 5 either; dragonflies emerge from the water, and they die in the water......

 

the mosquito problem will play itself out out there..... no sense in sprayin pesticides & other chemicals (which can be harmful to humans) all over the place.... besides, if they're worried about QoL in the eastern part of the Rockaways, a freakin mosquito is the LAST thing they should be worried about !

 

Now if there are mosquito swarms where there's no lakes/rivers/oceans nearby (say w/i the central part of one of the boroughs), I'd be more worried....

 

Yeah, I actually wanted to become an exterminator.... most people are afraid of flying insects; me, I find em quite interesting....

 

....after I kill em.

 

Dragonflies aint that bad l0l, I just hate the fact they fly outta control.

 

But seriously people complaining about mosquitoes, they are the last thing im worried about. Some people just don't think. Why do spiders make webs? To catch those annoying pests. As much as I hate spiders, I don't knock the webs down.

 

People got to understand, anytime your near a large body of water and standing water(Puddles ect) that you are going to have those flying pests.

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4P3607

4P3607

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F*ck these mosquitos! They are so f'ing annoying!

I know one day when I walked about 100 feet and back along the abandoned LIRR Rockaway Beach tracks, I got 16+ bites. I even had a coat of bug spray on! :mad:

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Shortline Bus

Shortline Bus

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Mosquito may not be so bad health risk wise, but getting bited can be annoying as hell.

 

Up here in Hudson Valley it been a problem(especially after the high amount of snow/rain from this past winter/spring)as towns try to tackle this issue.

 

Personally since my house/apartment buliding is middle of alot of trees already got tons of bites. Even after spending a good ton of $$ on inscent repeleants/bug spray.:mad:

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