Schumer Swats At NYC's Record Mosquito Levels

New York City NY

20 September, 2021

2:11 PM

Description

NEW YORK CITY — Buzz off, mosquitos. So says New Yorker and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. "Ask any outdoor diner about the mosquitos this summer, and you'll feel a resounding itch," Schumer said in a statement. "This is actually one of the worst mosquito seasons in recent memory with a record number of the bugs plaguing communities across New York—from the city, to Long Island and upstate." A wet summer and climate change could carry this mosquito season into the fall, Schumer said. Schumer, in a letter, pressed top EPA officials to virtually meet with local health department and provide non-chemical measures to reduce the biting bugs. "This is particularly important this year as New York City Health Department has identified a record-breaking number of West Nile virus-positive mosquito pools throughout the five boroughs, already surpassing the previous high recorded in 2018," he wrote. Health officials should take steps to swat away the swarms, including telling the public to take steps to eliminate standing water near homes, Schumer wrote.