New Castle County may fine for harboring mosquitoes

• The New Castle County Council is considering legislation regarding standing water.
• The goal is to curb areas where mosquitoes breed.
• Legislation being proposed would create a fine structure.

Having standing water on a New Castle County property could result in a $50 fine.

New Castle County Council is considering giving government the ability to penalize property owners who have mosquito-breeding habitat in their yards. The move is aimed at limiting the local mosquito population and is motivated by fears of a potential outbreak like the Zika virus.

Councilman David Tackett said the current code does not address homeowners having trash, debris or other outdoor items that allow for the formation of shallow, stagnant pools of water where mosquitoes like to lay eggs.

"This gives us another tool in the toolbox to help address this problem," Tackett said. "We are going to work on this problem aggressively."

Code enforcement is handled by the county Land Use Department. Acting General Manager George Haggerty said the county relies on the state for mosquito-control measures like pesticide spraying. The responsibility given to code enforcement officials by the legislation will not require additional staffing in the department, he said.

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New Castle County would be the first municipality in the state with code that directly addresses mosquito breeding, Tackett said.

If the legislation passes, standing water in artificial containers such as old tires, buckets, fountains, birdbaths and flowerpots must be regularly emptied. Code officials can cite property owners if containers have standing water that is deeper than 2 inches two days after rain. Code officials also will measure organic matter in the water and the presence of mosquitoes or other insects to determine if the pool is conducive for breeding.

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Tackett said he envisions the law being enforced largely through complaints. If someone is found in violation of the new law, they will have a period to empty the water before being cited, Tackett said.

He said that there is a particular problem with vacant homes that code enforcement officials will now have the power to fix.

"It is something we need to address quickly because it boils down to public safety."

Tackett said the legislation is partially being motivated by recent national headlines about the mosquito-borne Zika virus. Zika has spread across the Caribbean and Latin America, and isolated cases have been reported in the U.S. The virus, which typically spreads through the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is especially dangerous for pregnant women because it can lead to miscarriages and serious birth defects. It also can be sexually transmitted by infected males.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest report on Wednesday noted nearly 600 cases of Zika in the United States. In each case, the disease was contracted abroad. Three Delawareans have contracted the disease outside the United States.

State officials on Wednesday will begin distributing Zika prevention kits containing condoms, mosquito repellent and thermometers to pregnant women, though health experts say out-of-control spread of the virus in Delaware is unlikely.

"We are taking an all-hands-on-deck approach and working closely with many partners to get the word out and reduce the potential of local transmission,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, director of Delaware's Division of Public Health in a statement last week.

Tackett said other mosquito-borne illnesses are also a factor in the need for greater government involvement in lowering mosquito populations.

Mosquitoes take the most human lives each year through diseases such as malaria and dengue. The numbers amount to about 725,000 lives a year; by comparison, sharks take 10 lives and lions take 100. The state spends approximately $650,000 each year on spraying as a means of mosquito-population control. New Castle County government relies on the state for that tool.

The legislation is expected to be voted on at the County Council's June 14 meeting at the City/County building at 800 N. French St. in Wilmington.

Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or xwilson@delawareonline.com. Follow @Ber_Xerxes on Twitter

Mosquito prevention tips

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Use Environmental Protection Agency-registered insect repellents and always follow the product label instructions.
• If you are also using sunscreen, apply sunscreen before applying insect repellent.
• Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or purchase permethrin-treated items, which remain protective after multiple washings.
• Do not use permethrin products directly on skin.
• Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and not able to protect yourself from mosquitoes.