Mostly clear. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable..
Mostly clear. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable.
A mosquito having a sip of a man's blood
A mosquito having a sip of a man's blood
Harrisburg, Pa. — Summer is a time for fun and relaxation, not for getting covered in itchy welts. Fight the bite this year by eliminating mosquito breeding grounds and using insect repellants.
To give mosquitos fewer breeding areas and hiding places, keep the area around your home clean. Empty sources of stagnant water like bird baths, kiddie pools, and other outdoor items that collect water. Ponds can be stocked with fish that will eat mosquito larvae or aerated to repel mosquitos. It only takes a few days for a container of stagnant water to turn into a mosquito factory.
If standing water cannot be drained, Bti products found at home improvement, outdoor supply, or online stores may be used to prevent mosquito breeding. These products contain specialized bacteria that kill mosquito, fungus gnat, and black fly larvae but are harmless to humans, pets, and other animals.
“Standing water is where mosquitoes breed, and it doesn’t take much for mosquitoes to lay eggs,” said Jennifer Stough, Water Program Specialist for DEP’s Vector Management Program. “Mosquitoes are weak flyers and won’t travel far from where they are born – if there are mosquitoes in your backyard or neighborhood, they are likely laying eggs there as well. If you’re being bitten by mosquitoes, they are 9 times out of 10 coming from your property. Get rid of even small amounts of standing water around your home.”
The Department of Environmental Protection also recommends clearing debris from gutters and cleaning up litter in the neighborhood - even a bottle cap can turn into a refuge for mosquitos.
“It doesn’t take much for several hundred mosquitoes to be born. The small pool of water that collects in a single upturned bottle cap is an incubator for as many as 300 mosquito eggs,” said Stough. “Mosquitoes acquire the [West Nile] virus by biting infected birds and transmit the virus to people through a subsequent bite."
Window screens should be used when a window is open; if your window screen is ill-fitting or damaged, repair it to prevent mosquitos from entering your home.
Wear insect repellent or long sleeves during times when mosquitos are most active, especially around dawn and dusk. The EPA approves repellents using DEET, Picaridin, citronella, catnip oil, and other active ingredients. The EPA offers a searchable database of mosquito and tick repellents that can be searched by brand, active ingredients, name, and longevity.
“With the right precautions it’s possible to be safe and still get all of the physical and mental health benefits that having fun outdoors provides,” Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said.
Mosquito control and West Nile Virus
The Department of Environmental Protection conducts regular surveillance to manage mosquito populations. As of July 16, the Department has detected 68 West Nile infected mosquito pools across 19 counties. Only one human case of West Nile has been reported in Pennsylvania this year.
West Nile Virus typically causes an illness resembling a mild flu, but in rare cases it can cause swelling of the brain, muscle convulsions, coma, paralysis, and death. In the last 22 years, 48 Pennsylvanians have died from West Nile, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.
In addition to monitoring mosquito populations, routine spraying is used to control infected adult mosquitos based on surveillance results.
“Control operations are a strong tool, but they are not a substitute for preventive measures like eliminating standing, stagnant water,” said Stough.
Surveillance of mosquito populations and control measures will continue through October.
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