Fish Program

mosquito fish

The Sussex County Office of Mosquito Control uses a bio-control program as part of its integrated mosquito management approach. This involves the introduction of fish to control mosquito larvae in certain habitats. The fish used in this program are mostly Gambusia affinis, commonly known as mosquitofish. They are stocked in areas that 1.) are known to produce mosquitoes 2.) do not have an effective predator population and 3.) will not allow the introduced Gambusia to escape into natural waterways. These areas may include some types of stormwater management facilities, abandoned swimming pools, or wastewater treatment plants/lagoons.

Small quantities of a native fish mix (killifish, fathead minnows and sunfish) are also stocked by our program into natural sites that for various reasons do not have an established predator population and produce many mosquitoes.

All sites stocked with fish for mosquito control must be approved by NJDEP's Office of Mosquito Control Coordination. Funding for the fish, which are provided by the NJ Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife's Charles O. Hayford Fish Hatchery in Hackettstown, comes from the NJ Mosquito Control Commission.

Mosquitofish Links