Salt added to pond to
stop spread of midges
POND ISLAND--Small bags of Bonaire salt have been placed at strategic locations in Great Salt Pond by Public Works Department crews to stem the breeding and rapid spread of midges, mosquito-like insects that have been a nuisance to residents for several weeks now.
The 10-pound bags of salt are filled at the Public Works yard on Pond Island and trucked to the various locations. The bags are placed on the pond’s edge and over time the salt is dissolved by the water. The bags are removed and reused once the salt has dissolved. Bags of salt have been added to the pond periodically since early December when the midges started to reappear.
The last of the salt that arrived from Bonaire early in 2006 was used up this week. Another 100,000 tons of salt have been ordered and the shipment is expected to arrive shortly.
Midges thrive and multiply rapidly when the salt level in the pond decreases due to large amounts of fresh water and pollutants, such as raw sewage, flowing into the pond.
The insects plagued the island late 2005 early 2006, covering cars, invading homes and making it ill-advised for residents and businesses to leave doors and windows open. Residents had also complained about midges being a major nuisance, flying into their eyes and mouths.
Indications so far this year suggest that the midges have been multiplying at a slower rate than they did last year, possibly due to salt having been added to the pond early. However, this has not stopped the insects from being a nuisance: Travel Planners on Cannegieter Street and other businesses are plastered with them.
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