Chatham Borough Gearing Up For Upcoming Mosquito Season

NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- April showers bring May flowers. Unfortunately, they also bring some dreaded pests too -- mosquitoes.

The first sign of mosquito season isn't the insects, it's the helicopters spraying hot spots. On Wednesday, a chopper flew high above Chatham Borough, New Jersey dispersing a dry soil bacteria intended to keep the bugs away.

One resident told CBS 2's Emily Smith that bites from local mosquitoes were "the worst ever."

"This area especially, mosquitoes are really bad," Michelle Lee said.

With large pools of water serving as the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, larvae from area parks and ponds were collected last month in attempt to pinpoint what's out there.

But are the mosquitoes more of a nuisance or a downright threat?

"Now it's getting crunch time, the weather is beautiful and the mosquitoes are getting ready to come out," Kristian McMorland, of the Morris County Mosquito Extermination Commission, said.

Last year, there wasn't a single case of West Nile Virus reported in Morris County, but lab tests showed the number of mosquitoes carrying the virus hit its highest point in a decade.

"Generally summer time, what we're really concerned about is man-made containers and that could be anything from a swimming pool to clogged drain gutters," McMorland said.

Even with the county on the job, bug control begins at home. Officials suggest wearing bug repellent that has deet in it and wearing long sleeves.

"We try to. With kids it's hard if they're hot, they're not going to wear long sleeves," Lee said.

People are also encouraged to turn over or empty anything with standing water in it to better protect against having a breeding ground for mosquitoes in their backyard.

SOUND-OFF: How are you planning to combat mosquitoes this summer?  Let us know in the comments section...