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Upper West Side Residents Demand City Take Action Against Sewer-Bred Mosquitoes

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Upper West Side residents are fed up with being fed on by mosquitoes.

The nasty insects are once again invading the neighborhood and other parts of the city.

"I'm not happy, no one is happy," one resident said at a town hall meeting on Thursday night.

CBS 2 reported last week that mosquitoes are breeding in sewers along West 84th Street, entering apartments through cracks in basements, sidewalks and roadways.

WCBS 880's Paul Murnane reports

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Resident Tamela Greene said her children often nurse dozens of mosquito bites.

"It's alarming as a mother," Greene said. "There's a couple upstairs who have a similar issue but their daughter will have 80 mosquito bites so she can't send her to school."

Residents have sealed basements, installed screens and covered vents, but nothing seems to work. Along with nets, neighbors have also invested in racquet-shaped objects which are intended to deliver electric zaps to the enemy.

Now, they are calling on the city to take action.

"We want the mosquitoes out of our apartments," one person said. "Enough is enough with the speeches, we want solutions."

Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal's office said  city agencies have agreed to form a task force to study the issue and 311 -- which residents say brushed aside their concerns -- will field mosquito complaints.

The city's Department of Environmental Protection said sewer drains in the area are being flushed to help combat the problem.

The Department of Health tested the mosquitoes and found no sign of the West Nile virus, determining that they do not pose a significant health threat.

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