Follow the Staten Island Mosquito Man in These Vintage Photographs From 1940s - 1990s

In the wake of the Zika virus, some have called for return of the pesticide "DDT" which used to be sprayed by Staten Island's "mosquito man" before being banned in 1972.

The State Island Advance recently put together this awesome gallery of vintage photographs featuring the Staten Island mosquito man.

Many on Staten Island have memories of running behind the fog trucks -- the mosquito-killing fog was exciting and mysterious to kids at the time. The driver of the truck was often referred to as the "mosquito man." That ended when DDT was banned in 1972.

Fog machine spells death to mosquitoes
Fog machine spells death to mosquitoes
Photo: SI Live
Mosquito man hits the drive-in
Mosquito man hits the drive-in
Photo: SI Live
Staten Island fog machine in 1949
Staten Island fog machine in 1949
Photo: SI Live
Targets for mosquito spraying
Targets for mosquito spraying
Photo: SI Live
Spraying after DDT
Spraying after DDT
Photo: SI Live
Brookfield Landfill
Brookfield Landfill
Photo: SI Live
Dropping larvicide
Dropping larvicide
Photo: SI Live
Joshua Mu

Joshua Mu

Contributing Writer

When he is not attempting to hustle the hustlers of Central Park, Joshua enjoys exploring the depths of what New York has to offer. He one day hopes to pilot a drone without immediately crashing it.

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