Montco Reminds Residents to Mind the Mosquitoes

We’re in the throes of National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, which ends June 29, and the Montgomery County Health Department is reminding residents to take precautions to clear away mosquito breeding areas around their homes. 

West Nile Virus (WNV), which surfaced in the U.S. more than 10 years ago, is commonly transmitted back and forth between infected birds and mosquitoes. However, humans can become the unintended hosts of the disease when they are bitten by an infected mosquito.

Easy steps to take in any backyard to remove potential breeding grounds for mosquitoes include eliminating standing water from the property, cleaning debris from rain gutters, filling drain puddles and ditches, changing bird bath water once a week, emptying and turning over containers that could collect water, and checking for trapped water in canvas or plastic tarps.  Standing water can potentially breed thousands of mosquitoes.

The American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) reminds the public to practice the three D’s of mosquito prevention — Drain, Dress, and Defend:

• 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 approved repellent such as DEET, picardin, IR3535 or oil of lemon-eucalyptus

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Information courtesy of Montgomery County Health Department