Residents on the Upper West Side say the city hasn't done enough to mitigate a years-long mosquito invasion.
Neighbors on 84th Street between West End Ave and Riverside Ave say mosquitoes have been making their lives miserable for more than five years. NBC 4 New York previously reported on the problem in 2012. Since then, little has changed.
One resident named Dan says children suffer the most. His kids sleep with mosquito nets around their beds. His son has gone to school with bites all over his face, including one on his eyelid that made his eye swell shut.
"When you see them in the middle of the winter in New York City, it's baffling," Dan told NBC 4 New York Thursday. "All we're asking is for the city to dig one small area near the fire hydrant in the middle of the block to see if there's a mosquito colony living there."
Neighbors have petitioned the city to find the root of the problem, which they believe is standing water under the street.
A mayor's office spokesperson said in a statement to NBC 4 New York: “Following a town hall meeting on the Upper West Side in February, the Health Department and DEP have increased larvaciding in catch basins and flushed sewer lines to kill mosquito breeding grounds, leading to a decrease in the overall number of mosquitoes. The City continues to monitor the situation closely and will assess appropriate corrective actions to remedy the situation.”
Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal, who represents the 6th district, said that while the city has stepped up in recent weeks, she hopes they'll do more.
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"For kids that are allergic or who are affected by these mosquitoes, it's on the city to figure out how to stop them from multiplying," Rosenthal said.
Rosenthal hopes city leaders will consider hiring outside help to figure out the cause of the mosquito problem.
