Recent rainfall and warm temperatures are the perfect recipe for a summer threat – mosquitoes and West Nile virus. Now is the time for residents to check their property and drain standing water that could serve as a breeding ground.”Drain standing water in birdbaths, flowerpots, livestock water tanks and large puddles so that mosquitoes don’t multiply, said Lee Griffen, a West Nile virus team leader at the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment. “The fewer mosquitoes that hatch in our area, the less chance that people or animals will get West Nile virus.”In its fifth year of proactively testing birds and mosquitoes for West Nile virus, the Health Department employs a variety of strategies to “Fight the Bite.” Remember the four D’s:
- DRAIN: Eliminate standing water in buckets, wheelbarrows, flower pots, tires and any containers that may hold water and provide breeding sites for mosquitoes. Change the water in birdbaths at least weekly, and treat ornamental ponds and livestock watering containers with larvacide products available at most home and garden stores.
- DUSK AND DAWN: Avoid outdoor activities, such as gardening, at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- DEET: Use mosquito repellents with 18-28 percent DEET. An alternative ingredient recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is Picaridin.
- DRESS: If outside during the periods when mosquitoes are most active, cover up by wearing long-sleeved shirts, pants, shoes and socks.
