MOSQUITO CONTROL COMMISSION
The Town of Rye empowers the Rye Mosquito Control Commission (RMCC) under the provisions of RSA 437-A of the New Hampshire State laws. The three-member commission is appointed by the Rye Board of Selectmen. Each member has a term of three years. The current commissioners are Ted Merritt, Craig Musselman and Brian Helfrich.
The RMCC holds monthly meetings at Rye Town Hall and welcomes the public to attend and participate. Upcoming meeting dates can be found on the Town of Rye website (http://www.town.rye.nh.us) and are also posted at Town Hall and the Rye Public Library.
The RMCC provides oversight and works closely with an independent contractor to provide mosquito control for the Town of Rye. The Contractor selected for 2012 is Dragon Mosquito Control, Inc., PO Box 46, Stratham, NH, 03885, (603) 734-4144. Controlling mosquito populations and the potential occurrence of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV) are the top priorities of the RMCC.
RMCC makes every effort to utilize safe, environmentally sound practices. The elimination of routine town-wide spraying allows the contractor to increase their efforts on surveying and treating (larviciding) the salt marshes and fresh water habitats. The material usually used is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensisBti), a natural bacterium that does not harm people, pets, birds, fish or plants.
Dragon Mosquito Control, Inc. also maintains and places 68 town-owned greenhead fly traps in the marshes to help reduce greenheads especially at the
Town’s beaches. An additional thirty traps will be placed in service during 2012 which will bring the total of Town owned greenhead traps to ninety-eight.
At times, workers from Dragon Mosquito Control, Inc. must cross property lines to reach larviciding sites. If a property owner does not want this crossing on his or her property or wishes to be included on the “No-Spray List†for any street spraying, or has any concerns or questions related to mosquito control, contact Dragon in writing at: Dragon Mosquito Control Inc., PO Box 46, Stratham,
NH 03885 or call the Dragon staff at (603)734-4144.