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Sussex County
The town that straddles the Delaware–Maryland line: Delmar, Delaware, in Sussex County, and Delmar, Maryland, in Wicomico County, grew up around a railroad station at the state line.
Delmar began with the railroad. In 1859 the Delaware Railroad extended its line to the southern boundary of Delaware and built a station there, and the town took its name from the first three letters of each state: DEL-MAR. Because the state line runs through it, two separate towns were incorporated — one in Maryland in 1888 and one in Delaware in 1899 — and the two have often worked together to provide services, including a joint sewer system completed in 1927. The town calls itself “The Little Town Too Big For One State,” and a state historical marker places it on the Mason-Dixon Line. Laurel is about six miles to the north.
For pest questions, which side of the line you live on decides which state programs serve you. On the Delaware side, DNREC’s Mosquito Control Section covers all of Sussex County, Delaware’s spotted lanternfly quarantine applies, and DNREC’s tick program will identify ticks submitted online. The seasonal pattern is the familiar Sussex County one: ticks along field and woodland edges from spring into fall, mosquitoes through the warm months, and mice and stink bugs looking for a way indoors as the nights cool.
Deer ticks carry Lyme. Found in tall grass, leaf litter and wooded edges.
Peak: Apr – Jul, Oct – NovTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Move inside as nights cool. Droppings and gnawing are the first signs.
Peak: Oct – FebTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Salt marsh and backyard breeders. Worst near standing water and the coast.
Peak: Jun – AugTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Invasive planthopper spreading south. Report and destroy egg masses.
Peak: Jul – OctTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Gather on sunny walls in fall and slip in around windows.
Peak: Sep – NovTreated by Mosquito & Pest Authority
Subterranean termites swarm in spring. A must-check before any home sale.
Peak: Mar – MayTreated by Mosquito & Pest AuthoritySponsored partners serving Delmar
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The yard · Spring through fall
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On the Delaware side, DNREC’s Mosquito Control Section serves all of Sussex County from its Southern Delaware Office in Milford. If you live on the Maryland side of town, check with Maryland’s programs instead.
The Delaware Department of Agriculture has confirmed spotted lanternfly in all three Delaware counties, and its quarantine now covers the entire state. Inspect vehicles and anything you move, and remove and destroy egg masses.
DNREC says lone star ticks are the most common tick in Delaware, especially in Kent and Sussex counties. Blacklegged (deer) ticks live in forested areas and woody edges statewide, and ticks can be active year-round.