Fourth of July is just around the corner, but itchy and potentially deadly mosquito bites may already be a problem around your home and neighborhood.
Pools are open and grills are going, but are you cooking up a breeding ground for mosquitoes? It only takes about a week for a mosquito to grow from an egg into an adult.
(Click on the video above to learn how to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your yard.)
Mosquito Prevention Tips
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a variety of helpful safety tips found here.
Standing water and dark clothing are two things that attract them. The American Mosquito Control Association recommends that people follow the “3 D’s” to keep mosquitoes away:
• Drain: Empty out water containers at least once per week.
• Dress: Wear long sleeves, long pants, and light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
• Defend: Properly apply an EPA registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin, IR 3535 or oil of lemon-eucalyptus.
In addition, the Fresno Mosquito & Vector Control District offers these tips:
• Clean: Swamp coolers and water drains.
• Change: Water in pet bowls and dispensers often.
• Plant: Natural repellents such as marigolds, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, garlic, basil, catnip, petunias and mint.
Joseph Conlon, AMCA Technical Advisor, also says, “Encouraging your neighbors to also eliminate sources on their own property is critical to a community-wide control program. Mosquitoes require water to complete their life cycle. If their water source is eliminated, so are their offspring.”
Mosquitoes Spread Zika and West Nile Viruses
Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance. Their bites can spread diseases such as Zika and West Nile.
The California West Nile Virus website reports that the West Nile Virus was found in five people last week, including in Fresno and Kern counties.
AMCA stresses mosquito-borne diseases do not only affect humans — they also kill countless birds, reptiles, animals and endangered species each year. Awareness of these parasites — including canine heartworm, Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and Western Equine Encephalitis —is another important component of mosquito control the general public must embrace.
Have Your Yard Inspected
If you have questions or want to schedule an inspection to make your home safe from mosquitoes, contact the Fresno Mosquito & Vector Control District office: 559- 268-6565, [email protected].
