National Mosquito Control Awareness Week Begins Sunday, June 15th

ALBANY, Ga. – They’re incredibly annoying. They bite. They ruin picnics and barbecues. They make it hard to enjoy

any outdoor activities. Of course, we’re talking about mosquitoes!

Starting this week, and all summer long, the West Central Health District is urging residents to clean up their yards and communities and discard any unneeded items that can hold water. That’s one way to reduce the number of mosquitoes and prevent the spread of viruses carried by these insects.  “Mosquitoes don’t recognize property lines, so controlling their numbers has to be a joint effort among neighbors,” said Kristi Ludy, District Director of Environmental Health.

Some tips to help control mosquitoes:

• After every rainfall, tip out water in flowerpots, planters, children’s toys and wading pools, and buckets. If it holds water and you don’t need it (old tires, bottles, cans), toss it out. Look for small bodies of water such as empty garbage cans and lids, tree stumps and tire ruts.
• Clean out gutters, remove piles of leaves and keep vegetation cut low to prevent landing sites for adult mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can breed in small amounts of water like what’s in a bottle cap or overturned leaf.
• For containers without lids or that are too big to toss, like bird baths or garden pools, use larvicides such as mosquito dunks or mosquito torpedoes, available at most home improvement and hardware stores and follow the label instructions. Larvicides will not hurt birds or animals.
• Install new or repair existing window and door screens.

Homeowners associations and neighborhoods, along with city and county governments, are encouraged to sponsor community cleanup days.

It’s also important to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Use EPA-registered insect repellents containing 20%-30% DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Wear light colored clothing with long sleeves, long pants and socks to help prevent mosquito bites. Citronella, lavender, peppermint, and marigolds are just some plants you can keep in your yard to help keep mosquitoes away.

Mosquitoes can also transmit several diseases and parasites to dogs and horses, including in  heartworms in dogs and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Be sure to keep dogs on a heartworm preventative medicine, and horses can be vaccinated to prevent EEE.

For more information on how to fight the bite, visit www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes.

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