Hammonton Odor Carries All the Way to South Philly

What is that smell? That's what many people in South Jersey were wondering on Tuesday night.

The scent from mosquito spraying Tuesday evening in Atlantic County wafted into several South Jersey counties west of the target location along the Hammonton/Folsom border.

People in Gloucester, Burlington and Camden Counties, and even across the river in South Philadelphia were trying to figure out what that mystery smell was.

Amazingly, people questioned in Hammonton said they didn't even smell the odor.

Guesses About the Smell Are Gross

According to FOX 29, people who smelled Tuesday's odor had guesses for unpleasant things like cat urine, stinky B.O., dead flowers, or some kind of chemical.

Officials in the Borough of Clementon, Camden County --  21 miles away from Hammonton -- agreed that the smell was foul, but told residents it wasn't toxic or dangerous.

Someone at Gloucester County Emergency Management quickly figured out that the stink was likely due to Atlantic County's mosquito spraying and posted a mocking emoji on Facebook of a guy holding his breath and his nose with a graphic that said, "What's That Smell?!"

What Kind of Mosquito Spraying Was That?

It's not unusual for towns or the county to spray for mosquitoes, but the reaction to this smell was widespread and very vocal. So, what were they spraying?

According to the Atlantic County Office of Mosquito Control, the "aerial spraying was done using Fyfanon, the trade name for Malathion, applied as an ultra-low volume aerosol."

That means nothing to me and, I am guessing, to you, either.

The county says the EPA didn't require relocating or taking any special precautions because of the spraying.

You might want to tell that to the guy from South Philly pictured in the cover photo who smelled the odor and thought his cat had peed on the couch.