The DNREC Mosquito Control Section woodland pool spray campaign helps prevent emerging swarms of biting mosquitoes /DNREC photo

Annual Statewide Spring Spray Campaign Aims
to Reduce the Year’s First Mosquito Emergence

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will begin its annual spring spraying of woodland pools to control aquatic immature (larval) mosquitoes as early as Tuesday, March 18, with spray operations continuing through mid-April, weather permitting. The spring spray campaign by DNREC’s Mosquito Control Section will begin in southern Sussex County, then expand into Kent and New Castle counties over the next several weeks. Targeting these early-season woodland pool larval mosquitoes limits the emergence of biting adult mosquitoes later in the spring (typically early May) coming from these habitats.

Up to 10,000 acres of wet woodlands near select populated areas are typically treated. However, Delaware’s continuing drought conditions have resulted in much lower-than-average water present in the woodlands. All control treatments will be done via helicopter applying a liquid, bacteria-derived insecticide commonly known as Bti. As with all insecticides used by the Mosquito Control Section within the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bti has been determined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pose no unreasonable risks to human health, wildlife or the environment when applied in accordance with product label instructions as required by federal law.

The spring woodland mosquito larvae spraying campaign marks the beginning of Delaware’s mosquito control season – which in most years continues until late October or early November. Starting in April, Mosquito Control Section activities will expand to larval and adult saltmarsh mosquitoes, other freshwater mosquitoes, and urban and suburban container-breeding mosquitoes to manage mosquito populations for improving the state’s quality of life and to protect public health.

Locations and times for scheduled mosquito spraying activity in the state can be obtained by calling toll-free 800-338-8181. Mosquito spraying announcements can also be received by email, text or voicemail by subscribing to Mosquito Control’s Spray Zone Notification System at de.gov/mosquitospray.

To request local mosquito control service for a residential area, call a Mosquito Control Section field office with coverage responsibilities as follows:

• Glasgow Office, 302-836-2555, serving New Castle County and the northern half of Kent County, including Dover.
• Milford Office, 302-422-1512, serving the southern half of Kent County south of Dover and all of Sussex County.

For more information about DNREC’s mosquito control efforts in Delaware, visit de.gov/mosquito.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; 

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Construction will start soon at Ingrams Pond near Millsboro on a new DNREC boat ramp, with courtesy dock and expanded parking lot for boat trailers /DNREC photo

Completion of DNREC Project Expected by Start of Summer

The Ingrams Pond Boat Ramp near Millsboro will be closed as of Monday, Feb. 24 for construction of a new ramp and an expanded ramp parking lot, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife project will include replacement of the existing boat ramp, installation of a new courtesy dock, and expansion of the parking lot to accommodate boating trailers.

The Ingrams Pond project is expected to be completed by the end of May in time for the peak boating and fishing season.

While the Ingrams Pond ramp and parking lot are inaccessible, anglers are encouraged to use the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Millsboro Pond Boat Ramp, which is the nearest alternative for launching a boat to fish in the area.

For more information related to the Ingrams Pond fishing area closure, call the DNREC Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; 

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New fishing piers installed by DNREC at Newton Pond near Greenwood are a big attraction for downstate Delaware trout anglers /DNREC photo

Stocked Ponds in Kent and Sussex County to be Closed to All Fishing from Saturday, Feb. 15 through Friday, Feb. 28

Delaware’s 2025 downstate pond trout season will open for youth anglers under age 16-only at 7 a.m. on Saturday, March 1, followed by the opening of the regular downstate trout season for all anglers a half-hour before sunrise on Sunday, March 2, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Fishing will be allowed on youth opening day from 7 a.m. to a half-hour after sunset, and from a half-hour before sunrise to a half-hour after sunset thereafter, unless otherwise restricted by area rules.

Both Tidbury Pond near Dover in Kent County and Newton Pond near Greenwood in Sussex County will be stocked and open for trout fishing as scheduled pending pond ice conditions that might prevent either stocking or fishing.

Each pond will be stocked by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife with more than 300 pounds of 12- to 13-inch rainbow trout before opening day, with a second stocking to follow in mid-March. Trophy-sized trout weighing two or more pounds will be included in the stocking as an added attraction for trout anglers.

To improve trout fishing for the season openers, both Tidbury Pond and Newton Pond will be closed to all fishing from Saturday, Feb. 15 through Friday, Feb. 28 to accommodate trout stocking, eliminate incidental hooking of stocked trout, and allow the trout to adjust to their new waters.

Trout anglers planning to fish Tidbury Pond or Newton Pond should note the following rules and regulations:

• A Delaware fishing license is required, unless an angler is exempt
• A Delaware trout stamp is required through April 1, unless an angler is exempt
• The daily possession limit is six trout

Proceeds from the purchase of Delaware trout stamps are used to help purchase trout for stocking the next year. This popular fishery is also supported by federal Sport Fish Restoration funds administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that are generated from anglers purchasing fishing equipment.

Delaware’s trout season for upstate streams will open Saturday, April 5 with a youth-only day, followed by the opening of the regular trout season for all anglers on Sunday, April 6.

Delaware fishing licenses and trout stamps are sold online and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license or trout stamp online, visit de.gov/fishinglicense. Additional information about fishing in Delaware, including license and trout stamp requirements, is available in the 2025 Delaware Fishing Guide. The guide also is available in printed form from license agents throughout the state.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; 

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Leighton Cox practices calling wild turkeys before the 2024 spring season. /Submitted photo: Mike Cox

All Turkey Hunters – Residents and Non-Residents Out to Bag Their First
State Gobbler This Year – Are Reminded of DNREC’s New Registration Process

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that the 2025 lottery for State Wildlife Area Spring Turkey Season hunting permits held last month had drawn the largest applicant pool since the State’s first wild turkey lottery was held in 1991, with 544 permits – another record high number – available to hunters for the upcoming season.

The DNREC Wildlife Section ran the annual State Wildlife Area Spring Turkey Season hunting permit lottery, drawing from 834 valid applications submitted. Turkey hunting permits were available for all of the state’s 19 state wildlife areas and for Delaware’s two National Wildlife Refuges, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook. Permits issued for these areas cover one of four week-long season segments, with the 2025 turkey hunting season beginning on April 12 and ending on May 10.

Of the record number of applications, 744 were submitted by Delaware residents. The 90 non-residents who applied represented 20 states – testimony to the First State’s growing reputation as a hunting destination for taking a wild turkey. Of the permits awarded via the lottery, 488 permits (89.7%) went to resident hunters, with 56 permits (10.3%) going to non-resident hunters representing 15 states.

For this season’s lottery, Blackiston Wildlife Area near Clayton was the most popular turkey hunting venue selected by permit applicants, followed by Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area near Petersburg in Kent County; Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area near Townsend; and the Tappahanna Wildlife Area near Hartly. This year’s lottery also marked the first time that the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife offered permits for Bombay Hook and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. All 40 of the available permits for those locations were issued.

Also new in conjunction with the 2025 lottery, applicants may now view the results of the lottery online to learn if they were selected – by going to de.gov/turkeyhunting and checking their hunting license number against the lottery results. All awarded applicants also will be issued a permit letter by mail by the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife over the next several weeks.

All Delaware turkey hunters are also reminded that DNREC has implemented new turkey harvest reporting procedures for 2025. Hunters must complete their turkey harvest report card prior to moving their bird from where it was harvested. All first-time turkey hunters in Delaware ages 13 or older are required to successfully complete a DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife-approved turkey education course. Hunters who have completed the course receive a Turkey Harvest Report Card when they purchase their license or obtain their License Exempt Number (LEN). Any hunter who completed this course but failed to receive a Turkey Harvest Report Card should contact the Hunter Education Program at 302-735-3601 ext. 1. Hunters who have successfully harvested a turkey this year must register it within 24 hours via the Digital DNREC portal or by calling 1-855-DEL-HUNT (1-855-335-4868). Registration requires successful hunters to report beard and spur length for their bird and to voluntarily provide the turkey’s weight if available.

For more information about hunting on State Wildlife Areas, wild turkey hunting in Delaware or the annual turkey hunting permit lottery, visit de.gov/hunting.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; 

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Black sea bass are among fisheries managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council in federal waters from three miles to 200 miles offshore, from New York to North Carolina. /DNREC graphic: Duane Raver.

The Office of Governor Matt Meyer is seeking candidates to be nominated for Delaware’s obligatory seat on the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC). To be eligible for consideration as the Governor’s nominee to the MAFMC seat by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), individuals must be Delaware residents and must complete and submit a nomination application kit outlining their fisheries background, experience, and ability to serve as a council member.

The MAFMC is responsible for managing fisheries in Mid-Atlantic federal waters extending from three to 200 miles offshore from New York through North Carolina. MAFMC members must be prepared to attend six MAFMC meetings a year during a three-year term, with each meeting typically lasting four days. Council members are compensated by the MAFMC for all travel expenses for transportation, hotel and meals, and receive a stipend of $ 575.60 per meeting day.

According to NOAA’s website, nominees’ eligibility for the position is based, in part, on their occupation or other related experience, scientific expertise, or training, and they must be knowledgeable and experienced in one or more of the following areas related to the fishery resources within Mid-Atlantic federal waters:

• Commercial fishing, aquaculture, or the processing or marketing of fish, fish products, or fishing equipment;
• Fishing for pleasure, relaxation, or consumption, or experience in any business supporting fishing;
• Leadership in a state, regional, or national organization whose members participate in a fishery in the Council’s area of authority;
• The management and conservation of natural resources, including related interactions with industry, government bodies, academic institutions, and public agencies;
• Representing consumers of fish or fish products through participation in local, state, or national organizations, or performing other activities specifically related to the education or protection of consumers of marine resources; or
• Teaching, journalism, writing, consulting, practicing law, or researching matters related to fisheries, fishery management, and marine resource conservation.

Applications should be submitted to DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife Fisheries Section by March 3, 2025. The nomination application kit is available at from NOAA or by contacting the DNREC Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn. 

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov

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