Yes. Tidal wetlands produce large numbers of mosquitoes that fly into nearby neighborhoods, which is why controlling them focuses on managing your own property rather than the marsh.
If you live close to a tidal wetland in South Jersey, you might think there’s nothing you can do about the mosquitoes. That’s not exactly true, and in fact, there are things you can do to improve your situation. Still, it helps to understand why mosquitoes are as bad as they are here.
Tidal wetlands are valuable, legally protected ecosystems. Despite their reputation for being mosquito magnets, they do a lot of good. Marshes help filter water, buffer storms, and support wildlife. There are regional mosquito-control agencies around here, and they use specialized and carefully regulated methods to deal with marshes. But this is very different from residential barrier treatment.
Salt marsh mosquitoes lay eggs in the damp high-marsh soil, and each high tide or heavy rain floods those areas and triggers a fresh hatch. Because the flooding recurs throughout the season, the marsh keeps producing brood after brood. No individual treatment ends the onslaught.
Salt marsh mosquitoes are strong fliers that can travel long distances. That means that even homes set back from the wetland get the mosquitoes it produces. You're dealing with a source you don't own and can't treat.
If you read all the facts, it can leave you feeling like you can’t do anything. But that’s not so. Removing standing water on your own property and keeping vegetation trimmed helps a lot. It means mosquitoes won’t just reproduce unbothered on your own property, nonstop. That’s enough to make your life more livable even if you never quite manage to empty the marsh.
If you're tired of the marsh nearby turning your yard into a no-go zone, Mosquito Squad of Moorestown-Mount Laurel can help. Mosquito Squad treats the resting areas on your property and helps you cut your own breeding sources. This can help you protect your yard with up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
