Rats have been around since the earliest of times, and have been a nuisance since those times.  Rats can carry numerous infectious diseases and can affect humans and livestock.  Rats need a source of food, water, and shelter in order to live.  However, infestations can be prevented.  Here are some guidelines for controlling and eliminating an issue.

• Make sure all garbage is deposited in sturdy containers and tightly covered.  It is preferred that the containers be made of metal so that the rats cannot gnaw into them.
• Keep your property clean.  Best things to do are to:
  • Keep all items that may be good for a rat to gnaw on (wood for example) at least 18 inches above the ground.  It is preferred to keep any items stored outside AWAY from a wall.
  • Eliminate any areas that may hold water. 
  • Remove all bird feeders and clean up any spillage if rodents are seen.  Bird feed is one source of food for rats.
  • Repair any cracks in the foundation of your property, patch up any holes that may be in a shed or other structure to prevent entry of rodents.  Holes in dumpsters, openings in decks and porches, and uncovered storage containers are great homes for rats!
  • Keep the grass mowed consistently, especially near storage structures, and remove and store clippings promptly.
• Clean up IMMEDIATELY after your pets.  Rats will eat anything they can for food, including animal droppings!
• All pet food should be stored inside.
• If you want to control the populations, you can use traps or poisons.
  • Bait traps and snap traps are good for controlling rat populations.  Peanut butter, nut meats, and other protein rich foods are excellent bait.  Place these traps in rodent pathways so that they are forced to go over them.  Move the traps every 3 days or so for best results.
  • If you want to use rat poisons, they are easy to use, but care must be used if children and pets are present.  The preferred poisons to use are anticoagulant types that will stop the rat from clotting its blood.  These contain one of the following types of ingredients: Brodifacoum, Bromadiolone, Diphacinone. 
  • Be advised though, that rats are cautious and will avoid new things in their environment for several days.  It may take a while for traps to work!

Taking care of rats requires patience and a strong effort by all those involved.  But they can be beaten.  If there are any questions, please contact the Board of Health at (973) 361-8444.

An applicant for a certified vital record must prove blood relation to the subject of the vital record and must have two forms of identification. Click here for the application in English. Click here for the application in Spanish. Please contact the Registrar if you would like to order a certified copy of a vital record. If you are conducting genealogical research you may request non-certified copies of births occurring over 80 years ago, marriages occurring over 50 years ago and deaths occurring over 40 years ago without proving a blood relation.

All vital records are on file in the Office of the Registrar of the municipality where the event took place.

• Birth Certificates – Will be on file where the person was born
• Civil Unions – Will be on file where the event took place (not where you applied for the license)
• Death Certificates – Will be on file where the person was pronounced dead
• Domestic partnership agreements – Will be on file in the town in which the application was taken because no further ceremony is required
• Marriage Certificates – Will be on file where the event took place (not where you applied for the license)

You apply for a marriage license in the town where either applicant resides as long as you are a resident of New Jersey. If both parties are not residents of New Jersey you would apply in the town where you are getting married.

You can come in for a license application by appointment only Monday thru Friday – 9am – 4pm. Call for an appointment - 973-361-8444 x 2710

If anyone (both applicants, witness) does not speak or understand English you must bring a translator with you.

Any documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by a certified English translation.

Items for the marriage license application

• Proof of Wharton residence. (Rental Lease, Tax Bill, Utility Bill, Bank Statement)
• Proof of identity for both applicants (driver's license, passport)
• If divorced – bring divorce papers
• Both applicants have to come in to fill out paperwork.
• Bring a witness  (Must be 18 years or older)
• No blood test required.
• Fee - $28.00- The fee is waived by the State of NJ until June 2023
• Name of Both Sets of Parents - Maiden name of mothers.
• State/Country where both sets parents were born.
• Name & address of person performing marriage.
• Town where the marriage will be performed.
• Social Security #’s for both applicants.
• There is a 72-hour waiting period before the license is issued. The waiting period begins when the application is filed with the Local Registrar.
  
• License good for 30 days from date of issue.

Any person who owns, keeps or harbors a dog or cat over the age of six months must, within ten days after obtaining possession of such dog or cat apply for a license and annually thereafter. When applying for a license, please bring proof of current rabies vaccination and proof that the dog/cat has been spayed or neutered.

Renewals must be done in the month of January. Fees for dogs or cats that are spayed or neutered are $14.00 and animals not spayed or neutered will be $17.00. A delinquent fee of $5.00 per month per animal shall be added to a dog or cat renewal license.

Each Fall the Borough of Wharton provides a free rabies clinic at the Department of Public Works. Check the Borough website for the date. 

If you no longer have the dog or cat, please notify the town at (973) 361-8444 X2710 or info@whartonnj.com

For the application for a dog or cat license click here. You can mail your application in with a check and proof of current rabies vaccination.

DO NOT FLUSH unused medications and DO NOT POUR them down a sink or drain.
A prescription drop box is located at the Wharton Police Station, 10 Robert St. Please drop off any unused prescriptions for disposal. No syringes may be dropped off in this drop box.

To prevent mosquitoes this summer, the Departments of Health and Environmental Protection are asking homeowners, businesses and contractors working on rebuilding to drain sources of standing water outdoors and routinely check property for containers collecting water where mosquitoes can breed. "While we typically don’t identify human illnesses from mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus (WNV) until late summer here in New Jersey, it’s never too early to drain sources of standing water and reduce the number of places mosquitoes can lay their eggs and breed," said Health Commissioner Mary E. O’Dowd.

Steps that residents, business owners and contractors can take to reduce populations of the insect on their properties include:
At least once or twice a week, empty water from flower pots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels, and cans. Check for clogged rain gutters and clean them out. Remove discarded tires, and other items that could collect water. Be sure to check for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your home.

Proper Disposal of Syringes used at home to St. Clare's Hospital

Syringes should NEVER be thrown out in your regular household garbage!

All Participants must be registered with the program prior to delivering syringes or receiving containers.
After the first delivery, only hospital issued containers will be accepted. Syringes may be dropped off at Dover, Denville, or Sussex hospitals.

The procedure for each location is as follows:
DOVER- Enter through Lobby entrance, and stop at the information desk, a volunteer will assist you with your initial registration.
DENVILLE- Enter through Lobby entrance, and stop at the information desk, a volunteer will assist you with your initial registration.
SUSSEX- Enter through the Main entrance, and stop at the information desk and request the Housekeeping Supervisor to be paged. A Housekeeping representative will meet you at that location.
In you are currently registered and wish to change your drop-off location just let them know.

Containers may NOT be dropped off without a representative from Saint Clare's Health System accepting them. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Phyllis Sperry at 973-989-3054

National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week reminds us all of the serious health effects lead poisoning has on children. This happens when children swallow or breathe in lead.  The effects can be very harmful to young children (ages 6 and under) and unborn babies. Lead can pass from mother to unborn child and cause harm. Pregnant women must make sure to avoid contact with lead. Even low levels of lead have resulted in harmful effects.

Once the health effects of lead poisoning have taken place they may never go away. Too much lead (lead poisoning) may harm a child’s brain and nervous system, causing problems with learning and paying attention, slower growth and development, hearing and speech trouble, and behavior problems. Since there is no safe level of lead in children, it is extremely important for parents/guardians to take lead poisoning seriously.

Call to Action: Stop your child from coming into contact with lead before they develop health problems that may never go away even after getting treatment. Once a child is said to have lead poisoning, he/she must be separated from the source of lead and treated immediately to prevent even more damage!

The NJ Poison Experts remind you that lead poisoning is preventable. Major sources of lead exposure include lead-based paint and lead-contaminated dust (especially dust from renovating or repairs) and soil from deteriorating homes/buildings built before 1978. In addition, lead may be found in items such as candy, make up, imported foods, pottery and folk medicine made in other countries.

“As we become more aware of lead poisoning, we find more and more sources in our environment”, said Diane Calello, MD, Executive and Medical Director of the New Jersey Poison Center. “Chipping lead-based paint in older homes remains the most common source for young children, but we also have to investigate other possibilities, like drinking water, imported foods, cosmetics, and medications. If your home or building was built before 1978, chances are it contains some lead-based paint on the walls, window sills, door frames and woodwork. 

 The best way to prevent damage to your child’s health is to stop their exposure to lead before it causes harm. Below are some simple ways to stop your child from coming into contact with lead:

1.      Test your home for lead if you have young children or pregnant women in your household.  Remember to also do this when purchasing an older home (built before 1978), or when doing any repairs or renovations. If you have lead paint in the home, be sure to hire a professional certified to remove lead.

2.      Test your child for lead poisoning. Even if young children seem healthy, ask your doctor to test them anyway since the effects can be hard to notice. A blood test is the only way to measure the amount of lead in your child’s body. Health professionals recommend lead screening for children ages 1 and 2.

3.      Learn how to prevent lead poisoning. The NJ Poison Experts are available 24/7/365 in the event that you or a loved one is exposed to lead or have questions/concerns regarding lead poisoning. Call 1-800-222-1222 for free, expert advice

Do not take chances by waiting until symptoms occur. If an exposure happens, it’s good to know help is just a phone call away. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, seizing/convulsing, bleeding profusely, difficult to arouse/wake up, etc. call 911 immediately, otherwise call the NJ Poison Experts at (1-800-222-1222). “Don’t waste valuable time looking up information on the Internet when every minute counts. Many of the calls we get are genuine emergencies,” said Bruce Ruck, PharmD, Managing Director of the NJ Poison Center. “Having a poison expert give you real-time instructions for your specific situation can make all the difference.”