Mosquitos are known vectors for such diseases as West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, Lacrosse Encephalitis, Zika and Dengue Fever.
Mosquitoes only need a very small amount of water on which to lay their eggs, and many places around your home can breed mosquitoes. Once they hatch, they don’t fly far from home, which means if you provide breeding grounds you will have adult mosquitoes!
REMEMBER!! THE KEY TO PREVENTING MOSQUITO BITES IS TO ELIMINATE ALL STANDING WATER FROM YOUR PROPERTY.
You can have a significant effect on local mosquito populations if you reduce mosquito breeding areas on your property.
Here are some tips on how you can reduce standing water on your property and protect yourself from mosquitos.
- Store wheelbarrows, tubs, buckets, barrels, and kiddy pools upside down so that water cannot accumulate in them.
- Do not leave saucers under flowerpots outside, or dump the saucers once a week.
- Dump rain barrels once a week, or screen or cover them, or treat with larvicide.
- Change the water in birdbaths and small wading pools at least once a week. Aerate ornamental ponds, stock them with mosquito eating fish or treat with larvicide.
- If garbage cans are stored outside, make sure they have tight-fitting lids that do not hold pockets of water.
- Properly maintain swimming pools and ensure that swimming pools covers do not allow rainwater to collect on them.
- Ensure that water does not pool in boats stored outside or on their covers.
- Keep children’s toys inside.
- Make sure roof gutters drain properly. Clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.
- Make sure your home and porch have tight fitting screens that keep mosquitoes out.
- Clean up trash along the roadway.
- Dispose of old tires properly and drill holes in tire swings so water can drain out.
- Do not leave pet food out (discard if your pet does not eat it all right away to deter rats and other vermin) and change water daily.
- Fill in any low places in the yard where water stands there for several days.
- Throw larvicide into retention detention ponds and other small bodies of water that cannot be drained.
- Contact your county health department for any questions you may have about mosquito control.