The Health Department, Colson and other residents hope the Mosquito Magnet will help control the pests, which triggered fears after seven people in the city died and more than 30 were infected last year in an outbreak of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus. Sandra Mullin, a spokeswoman for the Health Department, said the devices are being used on a pilot basis. We know this has been a longtime problem in the Rockaways, and we are doing a tremendous amount of larvaciding of the city. We know they are a nuisance, and this is an attempt to see whether this can be another tool in the arsenal. Residents said the city's pilot program was prompted by frustrated homeowners had decided to purchase the Mosquito Magnet themselves after local elected officials failed to follow through on plans to introduce the device in the Rockaways.
Some residents still plan to buy their own devices.