Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Fall 2022
Prepared by:
Breanna Hawkins & John Reilly
Stockton University Environmental Internship Program (SUEIP)
School of Natural Science and Mathematics (NAMS)
Stockton University, 101 Vera King Farris Drive
Galloway, NJ 08205
Appendix A: Photographs
i
Acronyms
AR – Army Regulation
OBL – Obligate
ii
1.0 Introduction
As described in the New Jersey Army National Guard (NJARNG) 2019-2023 Integrated Pest
Management Plan (IPMP), the Environmental Management Bureau is responsible for
implementing pest management practices at NJARNG facilities in compliance with all applicable
local, state, and federal laws. NJARNG Integrated Pest Management (IPM) goals, policies, and
requirements are detailed in Chapter 5 of AR (Army Regulation) 200-1, and are driven by the
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) as well as any related regulations,
Executive Orders, and interagency agreements. This includes plans for pesticide application, as
well as rodent, insect, and nonnative plant control. This survey report focuses on efforts to
identify and eliminate mosquito breeding habitat at the Sea Girt National Guard Training Center
(NGTC) in Sea Girt, NJ. Mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika and West Nile Viruses, are a threat
to site personnel as well as visitors utilizing the beach area, camping facilities, sports fields, or
visiting the museum.
At the Sea Girt NGTC, annual mosquito trapping and surveillance is conducted by the Monmouth
County Mosquito Control Division. This division traps mosquitos to monitor for pathogens such
as West Nile Virus (WNV), St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV), Jamestown Canyon Virus (JCV),
Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEEV), and Zika Virus. Trapping results are provided to the
NJDMAVA (New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs) EMB (Environmental
Management Bureau). Mosquito samples collected on-site in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 tested
positive for West Nile Virus.
It is possible that these mosquitos may have emerged from off-site water sources and moved on-
site, however potential mosquito breeding habitat is available on-site. In response to these
results, the EMB has tasked the Stockton University Environmental Internship Program (SUEIP)
with conducting annual site-wide surveys to locate and categorize all potential mosquito
breeding habitat at the Sea Girt NGTC and make recommendations for eliminating or reducing
these available breeding habitats. Potential breeding habitat includes any area that may contain
standing water, including buckets, tires, trash cans, upright containers, poorly drained infiltration
basins, etc. Methods for this survey are described in Section 2 of this report. This is part of an
ongoing long-term monitoring effort that will be used to not only address breeding habitats on a
seasonal basis but monitor breeding habitat availability over time. Data from the most recent
2022 survey season has been added to a dataset created in 2018.
Aside from pest management practices, this project has climate change adaptation implications
as well. Currently in New Jersey, mosquitos are most active from April to November, however,
there is growing concern that a warming climate could extend that season. According to the CDC,
a longer breeding season could result in an increased risk of vector-borne diseases. A warmer
climate could also provide the conditions necessary for warm climate species of mosquitoes not
endemic to the area to survive and persist, such as Aedes aegypti, a Zika Virus carrying species.
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Long term monitoring is crucial to understanding trends and changes in the mosquito populations
at this site, and to identify any correlation between:
A. Mosquito population density
B. Available potential breeding habitat
C. The introduction/presence of non-endemic species
D. Climate change
2.0 Methods
1. Inspect the entire 173.5-acre Sea Girt NGTC property, including around buildings and
structures, fields, parking lots, and storage areas to identify potential mosquito breeding
habitat. For the purposes of this survey, a feature is considered to be potential mosquito
breeding habitat if it could contain standing water for at least 8 -10 days without
evaporating or infiltrating into the ground. This 8-to-10-day window represents the time
it takes for a mosquito to hatch from eggs, develop from larva into pupa, and emerge
from the water as adults according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). The on-site wetland areas were excluded from this survey.
2. Document the location of all potential mosquito breeding habitat with a handheld
Trimble GPS unit.
3. Record in a notebook or on a datasheet:
a. Location ID/Number
b. Presence of Standing Water
c. Presence of Mosquito Larva
d. Description (Roadside ditch, field puddle/ depression, bucket, tire, storm basin,
etc.)
e. Photograph all potential mosquito breeding habitat locations
4. Use collected GPS points to create a figure showing all on-site potential mosquito
breeding habitat.
5. Revisit all identified potential breeding habitat locations after a period of no rainfall to
determine which locations no longer contained standing water. Make judgment calls
based on observations from previous years regarding which locations would retain
standing water for an 8-day period.
6. Enter notes into database.
7. Submit survey summary report to EMB and Sea Girt NGTC Personal, including methods,
results, maps, and recommended action plans.
8. Sea Girt NGTC Personnel should implement the recommended actions. Actions taken
should be communicated to SUEIP for documentation.
9. Contact Monmouth County Mosquito Control Division for mosquito trapping efforts and
results.
10. At the conclusion of the mosquito trapping season, compile all data, including actions
taken by site personnel, final number of potential mosquito breeding habitat locations,
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and mosquito trapping results into a final report. Submit final report to EMB and Sea
Girt NGTC Personnel for record. Submit all final GIS data to EMB.
2.1 Equipment
1. Notebook/ Datasheet
2. GPS Unit
3. Camera
4. Pens, Pencils
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infiltration basins near the FMS (Building 46) were dry, however there was standing water at the
bottom of all the drains (P.14, 15, 16, & 17). This is likely due to the outtake pipes being
positioned too high in the drains. The elevated outtake pipes prevent the drains from getting
clogged frequently but enable standing water to persist on the bottom.
Consistent with the 2021 survey, surveyors only documented locations that contained standing
water, and were suspected to be large or deep enough to contain standing water for a minimum
of 8 days. These judgements were based on observations made during the 2018, 2019, and 2020
surveys, in which shallow field depression marked as potential habitat became dry quickly and
did not persist long enough to be viable mosquito breeding habitat. Knowing this, shallow
depressions were excluded for this survey. The on-site wetland areas were also excluded from
this survey. Figure SG1b portrays the locations of the mosquito habitats found during the 2022
survey compared to the locations found during the 2021 survey.
The 5 acres of on-site freshwater wetlands are likely a large contributor to the on-site mosquito
population. These wetlands offer significant suitable mosquito breeding habitat, but were
intentionally omitted from these surveys. The NJDEP states that all aquatic pesticides are
considered restricted for use in NJ for “aquatic sites” meaning wetlands or waters of the State
(NJDEP Compliance & Enforcement, 2021). Because the use of a pesticide in this case would be
to control mosquitoes, an approved Mosquito/Fly Control Permit is needed if the application area
is larger than 3 acres. Monmouth County Mosquito Commission is the primary contact for the
implantation of pest control application. A list of additional businesses licensed to perform
aquatic pesticide applications can be found here:
https://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/pcp/bpo-aqapp.htm. There may be other businesses that
do not appear on this list; however, applicators must be commercially certified in Category 5-
Aquatic Pest Control to legally apply aquatic pesticides. As of this report, no treatments have
been conducted anywhere on the site in 2022.
In comparison to the surveys conducted over the past 5 years at the Sea Girt NGTC, there was a
marked decrease in the number of potential mosquito breeding habitats annually, with the
exception of the 2019 survey. The only year in which there was no decrease from the previous
year was from 2018 to 2019, in which the number of identified breeding habitats increased by
36.1% from 36 to 49. The highest recorded number of habitats could be observed during the
2019 survey, decreasing by just over half the number of habitats to 23 identified habitats in 2020.
The number of habitats decreased by three in the year following the 2020 survey. Finally, during
the 2022 survey, only 14 potential breeding habitats were identified, compared to 20 from the
year prior. Common potential breeding habitat locations identified by surveyors from 2018 –
2022 include excavator buckets, drip pans, tires, and failed infiltration basins. The aluminum
trash can lids behind building 59 (P3 in Tables and Figures) have been identified as potential
mosquito breeding habitat in each of the five survey seasons conducted at this site.
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3.1 Monmouth County Sampling Results
Mosquito Trapping at the Sea Girt NGTC was conducted by the Monmouth County Mosquito
Control Division using Gravid Traps. Between 5/6/2022 through 10/25/2022, the division
collected 399 Mosquitos in 15 batches. The primary species found on site include the Culex
species complex and the Aedes albopictus. All 15 batches were tested for West Nile (WNV),
Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Saint Louis Encephalitis, and Jamestown Canyon viruses. Of the 15
sample batches, 3 were positive for WNV. The batches that came back positive only include the
Culex species, a non-human biting insect. This is a 16% decrease in WNV prevalence from 2021,
an 8% decrease from 2020 and a 10% increase from 2019. While Aedes albopictus did not come
back positive for WNV, these mosquitos are vectors of the canine heartworm Dirofilaria immitis.
Overall trends from this year's results are decreasing, compared to past testing results. These
results are shown in Table SG5: Mosquito Testing Results, and Figure SG3: WNV Positive Result
Percentage 2019-2022.
4.0 Recommendations
Based on this survey, SUEIP recommends eliminating all remaining potential mosquito breeding
habitat locations as soon as possible. Trash cans, lids, buckets, tires, and other supplies and
equipment should be stored in a way that prevents the collection of standing water. Infiltration
basins should not contain standing water, however if they do, there are preventative measures
that can be taken to ensure mosquitos do not breed in them. Wetland and riparian areas (buffer
zones) cannot be chemically treated or filled in without a permit.
Recommendations for reducing commonly identified breeding habitat locations at the Sea Girt
NGTC:
• Keep buckets and cans upside down. Upright buckets and cans can collect rainwater.
• Keep used tires inside, or properly dispose of them.
• Drill holes in the bottom of any tires, containers, etc. that must remain outside (such as
those used in obstacle courses).
• Continue to monitor the mosquito population on-site.
• Survey the site for potential breeding habitat every spring.
• Compile all mosquito trapping and mosquito habitat data into a long-term database.
• Track changes in mosquito populations over time (density and species).
• Identify any correlation between population density, species, available/potential
breeding habitat, and climate changes.
• Post signage at site entrance, camping area, beach area, and on building bulletin boards,
containing recommended mosquito bite prevention methods, as described in Appendix K
of the IPMP.
For stormwater infiltration basins
• Determine the cause of the standing water. The basins should drain completely.
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• Treat basins with a sustained release larvicide, such as Bactimos Mosquito Control Dunk,
Model MD541 (follow link below). One dunk is expected to treat the surface of a 100 sq.
ft water body for approximately 6-8 weeks. Treatment would need to be repeated every
6-8 weeks during the mosquito breeding season.
https://www.amazon.com/Bactimos-Mosquito-Control-Dunks-
dunks/dp/B00461QTL8/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_86_img_1/145-5051593-
8347919?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H5Y4164G2RJX2C0J8HY2#feature-bullets-btf
5.0 References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, N.D. Mosquito Life Cycle. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/resources/factsheets/mosquitolifecyclefinal.pdf
Ethan Freeman, John Hallagan, & Tori Robbins 2021. Mosquito Breeding Habitat Survey – Sea Girt.
John Hallagan, Sarah Helble, Alexandria Petrosh, Nick Cordivari, & Steven Hoffman. 2019. Mosquito
Breeding Habitat Survey – Sea Girt.
John Hallagan, Sara Helble, Steven Hoffman, & Tori Robbins 2020. Mosquito Breeding Habitat Survey –
Sea Girt.
New Jersey Army National Guard, 2019. Integrated Pest Management Plan for the New Jersey Army
National Guard.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Compliance & Enforcement, 2021. Aquatic
Applicator Business List. Retrieved from: https://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/pcp/bpo-aqapp.htm
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Compliance & Enforcement, 2021. Aquatic
Pesticide Permit Application and Instructions. Retrieved from:
https://www.nj.gov/dep/enforcement/pcp/bpo-aqpermit.htm
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USDA, NRCS. 2021. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 07/02/2021). National Plant Data Team,
Greensboro, NC USA.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American
Public Health Association, 2019. “Climate change increases the number and geographic range of disease
carrying insects and ticks.” Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/climateandhealth/pubs/vector-borne-disease-final_508.pdf
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Tables and Figures
Table SG1a
2022 Initial Mosquito Breeding Habitat Survey Results
Site: Sea Girt
Date: 04/08/2022
Surveyors Present: John Hallagan, Breanna Hawkins, John Reilly
Potential Breeding Habitat Standing Water Mosquito Larvae
Feature Description Notes
Number Present? Present?
P1 Y N Upside Down Recycling Bin Water pooled in the lip of the bin
P2 Y N Upright Basin Water pooled on top of basin
P3 Y N Trash Can Lid Water pooled on the inside of the lid
P4 Y N Pavement Water pooled in depressed pavement area
P5 Y N Playground Water pooled on playground ground
P6 Y N Wash House Back Water pooled in depressed area next to washhouse
P7 Y N Wash House Front Water pooled in depressed area next to washhouse
P8 Y N Pavement Water pooled in depressed pavement area
P9 Y N Tire Water pooled in the inside of tires
P10 Y N Tire Water pooled in the inside of tires
P11 Y N Upside Down Trash Can + Lid Water pooled on top of upside down trash can + lid
P12 Y N Dining Hall Road Water pooled in depressed pavement area
P13a Y N Infiltration Basin Infiltration basin failed to empty water pooled in basin
P13b Y N Infiltration Basin Infiltration basin failed to empty water pooled in basin
P14 Y N Infiltration Basin Drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P15 Y N Infiltration Basin Drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P16 Y N Infiltration Basin Drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P17 Y N Infiltration Basin Drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P18 Y N Floor Water pooled on the floor of a collapsed tarp building
P19 Y N Field Flooding Water pooled in field outside of shooting range
P20 Y N Road Flooding Water pooled in depressed soil
P21a Y N Excavators Water pooled in the buckets of the excavator
P21b Y N Excavators Water pooled in the buckets of the excavator
Notes: Heavy rainfall 3 days prior to survey
Table SG1b
2022 Final Mosquito Breeding Habitat Survey Results
Site: Sea Girt
Date: 04/08/2022
Surveyors Present: John Hallagan, Breanna Hawkins, John Reilly
Potential Breeding Habitat Standing Water Mosquito Larvae
Number Present? Present? Feature Description Notes
P1 Y N Upside down recycle bin Water pooled in the lip of the bin
P3 Y N Trash can lid Water pooled on the inside of the lid
P9 Y N Tire Water pooled in the inside of tires
P10 Y N Tire Water pooled in the inside of tires
P11 Y N Upside-down trash can + Lid Water pooled on top of upside-down trash can + lid
P13a Y N Infiltration basin Infiltration basin failed to empty water pooled in basin
P13b Y N Infiltration basin Infiltration basin failed to empty water pooled in basin
P14 Y N Infiltration basin drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P15 Y N Infiltration basin drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P16 Y N Infiltration basin drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P17 Y N Infiltration basin drain Infiltration basin drain failed water pooled in drain
P19 Y N Field flooding Water pooled in field outside of shooting range
P21a Y N Excavator Water pooled in the buckets of the excavator
P21b Y N Excavator Water pooled in the buckets of the excavator
Note: Heavy rainfall 3 days prior to survey
Table SG2
Potential Mosquito Breeding Habitat Categories
Site: Sea Girt 2022
Category # of Breeding Habitats
Trash Cans 3
Equipment 4
Infiltration Basins 6
Field Depressions 1
6
Breeding Habitats
0
Trash Cans Equipment Infiltration Basins Field Depressions
Category
Table SG3
Potential Mosquito Breeding Habitats by Survey Year
Site: Sea Girt
Suvery Year # of Potential Breeding Habitats
2018 36
2019 49
2020 23
2021 20
2022 14
50
Breeding Habitats
40
30
20
10
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Survey Year
Table SG4
Comparison Between Breeding Habitat 2020-2022
Site : Sea Girt
Mosquito Breeding Habitat 2020 Mosquito Breedign Habitat 2021 Mosquito Breedign Habitat 2022
Trash Cans 2 7 3
Equipment 11 7 4
Infiltration Basins 10 6 6
Field Depressions 0 0 1
Total 23 20 14
Total
Field Depressions
Infiltration Basins
Equipment
Trash Cans
0 5 10 15 20 25
Mosquito Breedign Habitat 2022 Mosquito Breedign Habitat 2021 Mosquito Breeding Habitat 2020
Table SG5 - Mosquito Testing Results Number of
West Nile Virus Positive Samples 2019 to 2022
Year Positive Samples Samples Collected
2019 3 30
2020 11 39
2021 17 47
2022 3 15
40
30
Precentage
20
10
0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Year
Legend
Equipment
P18
Field Depression
P1
2
P2
P16 Infiltration Basin Drain
P3
P14
P15 Trash Can
P17
P11 Field Depression
P4 P5 Building
P7
P6
0 140 280 560 840 1,120
Feet
P8
±
Scale:
1 inch = 440 feet
Date: 4/29/2022
Legend
Equipment
21a
Building
±
Scale:
1 inch = 417 feet
Date: 4/29/2022
Legend
Equipment
Infiltration Basin
overlap
Wetland
Site
overlap
Building
±
Scale:
1 inch = 417 feet
Date: 4/29/2022
Description: Upside down recycling bin with water pooled in the lip of the bin.
Description: Upside-down trash can lids with water pooling on inside of lids.
Location: Along Barracks Road outside Medical Building and Dining Hall.
Potential Mosquito Breeding Habitat Location #: P13a