County To Dig Trenches In Brick Neighborhood to Combat Mosquitoes

Marsh areas off Knoll Crest Avenue in Brick. (Credit: Google Maps)

Nothing is worse on a warm summer night than involuntarily offering yourself up as a snack for mosquitoes.

Brick residents know all too well that mosquitoes can ruin a night outdoors, but few know the importance of the role Barnegat Bay plays in keeping the insects under control. Before the summer season, the Ocean County Mosquito Extermination Commission will dig trenches in the large marshes off Knoll Crest Avenue in the township in order to allow bay water to flow through at high tide and wash away mosquito eggs that have been deposited there.

“Over the years, many of the ditches that have allowed proper tunnel flow through the salt marshes have deteriorated,” said Brick Township Council President Paul Mummolo.

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The silted-in ditches have allowed water to stagnate in recent years, increasing the number of mosquitoes in the area.

“What they’ll do is come in and re-dig these trenches to allow the tidal water to come in,” Mummolo explained. “The water won’t be stagnant.”

The township council this week passed a resolution authorizing the county to access township-owned lands where the salt marshes are located. The area where the work will be completed, Knoll Crest Avenue, is located off Mandalay Road and extends to the Seawood Harbor neighborhood, which fronts Barnegat Bay.