The mosquito-borne West Nile Virus is a public health concern this fall. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 2,324 human cases of West Nile virus to date.
Mosquito bites to humans can cause health problems, from discomfort and allergic reaction to transmission of diseases such as West Nile Virus. Most people who become infected with West Nile virus will not have symptoms, however there are some cases of severe and fatal illness from the virus. West Nile virus is a strain of encephalitis that is carried by mosquitoes, therefore we strongly encourage you to educate yourself on ways to protect your family.
Learn how to keep your family safe while enjoying the outdoors!
Ways to protect your family
Help your family enjoy the outdoors and keep them safe from mosquitoes!
To protect your family from mosquitoes, limit your exposure to bites. Here are a few steps you can take to prevent mosquito bites:
- Spend less time outdoors at dawn, dusk and early evening, when mosquitoes are more active.
- When your family is spending time outside, have them wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Apply insect repellent to exposed skin and clothing. Repellents containing DEET are the most effective. Apply with care and follow manufacturer’s instructions. Avoid applying repellents to children under the age of 2. Be careful when using repellents on young children. Do not apply to their hands because it may get into their mouth or eyes and cause irritation. Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web Site for more information on insect repellent.
- Secure all door and window screens to prevent mosquitoes from getting into your home.
- Eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, such as areas of standing water in gutters, birdbaths, old tires and containers left outdoors.
Reduce mosquitoes around your home
In an effort to limit mosquitoes, many communities are or will begin spraying for mosquitoes at night. Check with your local government to see if they have a mosquito control program in place. In addition, there are several steps you can take to reduce the mosquito population in and around your yard:
- Around the deck or patio, use mosquito repellent to provide a rapid knockdown to mosquitoes and create a protective barrier that will repel them for several hours.
- To kill mosquitoes and prevent them from breeding on your lawn, trees and shrubs, use mosquito spray concentrate with an easy-to-use hose-end applicator built in. It kills mosquitoes quickly and keeps killing for weeks.
- For long-lasting control around the yard, spray trees and shrubs with mosquito tree & shrub spray concentrate. Use this with any tank sprayer to apply to trees and shrubs. Do not use on your lawn.