Written by Maria Scarvalone and reprinted with her permission.
How to take action on our mosquito problem
Hi all,
I called Brad Lander's office today, and they would like everyone to call 311 to report this problem to establish a paper trail of complaints. Tell 311 that you want to report a terrible mosquito problem in the neighborhood to the Department of Health. Let them know the mosquitoes are coming up from the sewer drains in front of our houses and in the street. Tell them that it is a standing water issue (even beneath the ground) and that the Health Commissioner has asked for these complaints to be filed
Please send a record of your complaint number, address, and any letters or other documentation to Brad Lander's assistant, Jessica Turner, who will work with us on this: JTurner@council.nyc.gov, tel. 718-499-1090, fax 718-499-1997. Also, please let me know so I can work on compiling a master list.
Brad Lander will be meeting soon with the Commissioner of the Department of Health to discuss several matters, and this will be on the agenda.
Please take a moment to call 311 and report this problem. There is power in numbers. Don't forget, these Asian tiger mosquitoes are vectors for various diseases, including West Nile, dengue and chikungunya, to name a few, so are not only a nuisance but also a health risk. (I actually wrote an article about them for The Washington Post, if you'd like some more information:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081503123.\html).
Maybe if we get some assistance from the city on this, we will be able to enjoy our gardens next year......