CAPE MAY POINT — Addressing several unanticipated problems at Pavilion Circle will continue to be an ongoing process.
Borough Commissioner Suzanne Yunghans said June 23 that the issues include irrigation, high levels of iron in the well water, the persistent drought conditions and cottony scale insects on the trees.
“Despite efforts to quickly solve the iron problem in the well water, we are not there yet,” Yunghans said, adding that Public Works is implementing a stopgap measure of connecting the irrigation system to public water to irrigate the area.
The circle will be watered three times a week for the next 10 weeks. Yunghans noted that is less than the usual five times per week, which is usually done with well water.
“Hopefully it will be enough to sustain the grass, the trees and the gardens,” she said. “We expect this to cost about $10,000, so it’s not cheap. It’s why we’ve tried to go to well water in the first place.”
Yunghans said one of the three wells in the Circle Pavilion was worn out and needed to be replaced in September 2025.
“The previous three smaller wells that we had there for irrigation were wearing out last year, so the borough spent $21,000 to have a new 6-inch, 104-foot-deep well drilled at the end of last year,” she said. “Unfortunately, and unexpectedly, a high level of iron was discovered in the well water.”
She added that Public Works had hoped to get through the summer with the other two wells compensating and replace the bad well this year, but the remaining wells were struggling.
Unspent capital funds were utilized to replace the wells at the end of last year.
In February, teh borough appropriated $80,000 from the capital reserve to purchase a Public Works vehicle and a water softener.
The water softener is intended to help with the excess iron. At the time, Yunghans added that they will be getting a quote for mitigation. She said that a micron filter was added to the wells but could not mitigate the iron fast enough at a flow rate of 80 gallons per minute for the vast irrigation system in the circle.
Yunghans said Public Works Superintendent Bill Gibson has been seeking a water softener solution, but it was difficult to source a system that can remove the iron at that faster rate.
Another issue is cottony scale insects on two of the crepe myrtles and most of the holly trees.
“Cottony scale is a common sap-sucking insect,” Yunghans said, adding that Arbor Care, a local licensed tree expert, recommends spraying an insecticide at the end of June or early July when the eggs are hatching.
There are several precautions with the insecticide, which Yunghans said include: no rain is forecast; it cannot be sprayed anywhere near storm drains; and no people or animals can be in the vicinity until the insecticide dries, which usually takes an hour.
Yunghans asked the Shade Tree Committee and the Environmental Commission to weigh in on the situation, and she said the unanimous opinion was not to spray the insecticide for several reasons.
“The insecticide comes with warnings for other insects, aquatic life, animals and humans,” she said. “Nobody could be in or around the circle for at least an hour after the spray, for the spray to dry.”
The spray could not be used near storm drains because it can leach into the water and impact aquatic life, Yunghans added. She also noted that the groundwater and stormwater go directly into Lake Lily.
“This broad-spectrum insecticide indiscriminately kills insects and is highly toxic to bees and other beneficial insects,” Yunghans said. “Cottony scale is largely cosmetic and rarely kills trees, and the recommendation was to look for safer alternatives such as soaps or horticultural oils and to use them in the winter.”
Yunghans said one non-toxic option she found in the Entomology and Plant Pathology Department at Auburn University was the use of natural orange oil. That attracts ladybugs, which are natural predators of cotton scale aphids.
“Their research showed a remarkable reduction in just a few weeks by using that orange oil, which is evidently even available through Amazon,” Yunghans said.
Deputy Mayor Elise Geiger said her opinion was to take out the offending crepe myrtle and plant something native. Mayor Anita Van Heeswyk said she liked the idea of orange oil.
“Introducing something that will take care of something in nature makes more sense to me,” VanHeeswyk said.
Yunghans said it might be something the borough would be willing to try.
“Then, in addition, we can relook at it and look at horticultural soaps or oils in the winter,” she said. “I think the worry is that we’re doing it when we have the most population here, when the bees and butterflies and everything we care about that we protect, to do it right now would be unfortunate.”
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
