Todd Rainey, division head of Hunterdon County Vector Control, updated the board Aug. 5 on ongoing efforts against black flies, ticks and mosquitoes.

Rainey reported that the county has partnered with Pennsylvania’s Delaware River program and that helicopter treatments on the river corridor were scheduled; he said treatment number four was expected to proceed Thursday if weather and smoke conditions permitted. Locally, the county has performed eight or nine hand applications for black fly larval control on the South Branch area and planned to continue through September.

On ticks, Rainey noted Hunterdon County’s persistently high Lyme disease reporting rates and described seasonal trends: case peaks in late spring/early summer and fewer transmissions from larval ticks. He called out the Asian longhorned tick (first detected locally in February 2017) as an agricultural pest that reproduces clonally and can appear in large numbers on animals; the division assists residents when those infestations occur. Rainey also said lone star ticks are relatively rare locally but common among people who travel to South Jersey, and that alpha‑gal meat allergy and other disease risks are monitored.

On mosquitoes, Rainey said the county’s mosquito testing shows West Nile virus activity at “background noise” levels (about 5 percent positive in bird‑feeding mosquitoes), while mosquitoes that typically bite people have tested negative so far. He said Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is monitored but not of current concern locally; the county tests for multiple pathogens and will notify public‑health officials if detection levels change.

Commissioners thanked Rainey and encouraged residents to report tick encounters; Rainey said the division will assist callers with tick identification and advise on whether medical follow‑up is appropriate.