Mosquitoes plagued mankind long before history records their annoying and painful interference with daily activities. Thousands of years passed before it was learned that mosquitoes carry diseases that have killed countless millions of people, changing the course of history many times.
Early settlers of North America faced many hardships. Chief among indigenous afflictions was malarial fever which is said to have caused more anguish than the threat of Indians.
In New Jersey, historians are not sure whether it was mosquitoes or the British who drove the Swedes from the state.
Window screens, introduced in the 1880's, were called "the most humane contribution the 19th century made to the preservation of sanity and good temper."
Mosquito borne yellow fellow was known as the American plague since it had struck the bay colony in 1647. Yellow Fever also decimated Philadelphia in 1793, thus ending that city's supremacy in the young union. Approximately, the disease was stamped out by an American, Dr. Walter Reed, an army surgeon who in 1900 with a team of heroic assistants traced its source to a virus carried by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. This eliminated, almost in a single blow, one of the scourges of mankind.
With many pieces of the puzzle of the mosquito's life cycle and disease transmission coming together at the turn of this century, organized, multi-disciplinary mosquito control became possible. New Jersey had many citizens and local governments interested in a crusade against the mosquito. Dr. J. B. Smith, N.J. State Entomologist, did extensive research on the types of mosquitoes in the state and their life cycles.
Considerable public debate was given to the question whether mosquitoes could ever be controlled. Mosquito control operations grew in some towns but not in all towns. Newspaper battles raged when it was painfully noted that mosquitoes ignored municipal and even state borders.
Local boards of health funded most of the extermination work. Laws in 1906 required support for local efforts from the state experiment station. Another law in 1912 directed the creation of county mosquito extermination commissions to assure full time mosquito control.
With an increase in mosquito control workers and their rapid progress, it became clear in 1913 that an organization was needed within which these workers could discuss their problems and share their experiences. A convention of county commissions was planned and held on February 20 & 21, 1914 in Atlantic City and there created a permanent organization - the New Jersey Mosquito Extermination Association. The annual meetings of the Association continue as a forum for New Jersey and national experts and workers to present ideas on funding and efficiency, reporting scientific results, questions and operational successes that could benefit others. The proceedings of these meetings are distributed and referenced worldwide.
The Association draws on the collective efforts of all its members and those in related fields. The executive committee has even notified commissions when improvements were needed to protect neighboring counties.
The results of work and research can be successful or unsuccessful but all information is of use. Mosquito control methods have evolved and this process has been enhanced by the association.
Recognizing a national agenda for mosquito control, 15 leaders of NJMCA and 10 colleagues from other states created the Eastern Association of Mosquito Control Workers at Trenton in 1935. In 1944 EAMCW was renamed the American Mosquito Control Association, the paramount organization in the field today.
The New Jersey Mosquito Extermination Association has changed its name to N.J. Mosquito Control Association (NJMCA) as it has led the way to modern, professional mosquito control headed into the 21st century.
Reasons for mosquito control are many and varied. Public opinion being so diverse, ranging from the "I can't stand one bite" to "leave them alone as part of nature", has made it necessary for scientists, health officials and regulators to pass certain laws for protection of humans and their domestic animals from mosquitoes. There are four major reasons for control:
1. Public Health: In tropical areas, mosquitoes transmit malaria, yellow fewer, dengue and encephalitis. In New Jersey we have had serious outbreaks of Eastern Encephalitis and St. Louis Encephalitis and in 1991, malaria reappeared. Dog heartworm is rarely a threat to humans but is a common and often fatal disease in canines. Control measures lessen and often prevent outbreaks of these vector borne diseases.
2. Public Welfare: The standard of living in America has progressed to a point where citizens wish to enjoy the outdoor recreation areas and especially their own backyards without taking extreme protective measures or avoiding certain areas altogether. The economic climate of today's tourism makes places such as campgrounds and the Jersey Shore a billion dollar industry that could be decimated by an outbreak of disease during the peak tourists season. Control measures are employed to avoid this and to enable people to enjoy their outdoor recreation.
3. Environment: People are important in today's world too. Many people and animals have developed allergies to mosquito bites. Sound techniques and integrated control programs are designed to benefit or to have minimal adverse effect on people, wildlife and environment. A mosquito free environment is important in today's world of active outdoor pursuits. The selection of scientifically sound suppression methods are based on consideration of what is ecologically and economically in the long term best interest of mankind.
4. Mandate: In 1906, and again in 1912, the New Jersey legislature under the Title 26 - Health and Vital Statistics, passed laws creating mosquito control commissions, mandating county governments fund them and giving the commissions the power "to perform all acts which in its opinion may be necessary for the elimination of mosquito breeding areas or which will tend to exterminate mosquitoes within the county". A law just as valuable today has reduced mosquito populations and kept them under control.
See also Mosquito Investigations , Rutgers Dept. of Entomology History
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