Don’t give mosquitoes a place to breed
Mosquitoes lay eggs in slow-moving or standing water. A small puddle of water can breed thousands of mosquitoes each week. From April to October, when mosquitoes are most active, take steps to prevent mosquitoes from breeding:
- Remove sources of standing water, such as old tires, empty containers, pots, plastic ground covers, and anything else that holds water.
- Change water in bird baths, ponds, pet dishes and animal troughs twice a week.
- Repair leaking faucets and sprinklers.
- Clean clogged gutters.
- Cover trash containers so they don’t accumulate water.
- Properly maintain and treat your pool and pond. Be sure pool covers do not hold pockets of water. Ornamental, self-contained ponds may be treated with larvicide
- to reduce mosquitoes. Follow label instructions and make sure it is for home use.
- Organize neighborhood cleanup activities to remove sources of standing water.
- Report areas of standing water by calling Clark County Mosquito Control’s 24-hour reporting line at 360.574.7906
Prevent mosquito bites
To reduce the risk of West Nile virus, take the following safety measures to prevent mosquito bites:
- Use mosquito repellent when you are outdoors, especially at dawn, dusk and early evening, when mosquitoes are most active. The most effective repellents contain the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Permethrin also is an effective repellent, but should be applied to clothing only, not directly to the skin.
Follow directions when using repellents, especially when applying on children. Don’t allow children to apply repellents themselves. Visit the Centers for Disease Control for more information on mosquito repellents.
Install or repair screens on windows and doors so mosquitoes can’t get inside.
If possible, stay indoors during peak mosquito hours. But if being outside is irresistible on a warm summer evening, wear loose-fitting protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes and socks and hats, especially when going into woods or wetland. If heat makes extra clothing uncomfortable, be sure to use repellent.
Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when outdoors.
Don’t give mosquitoes a place to breed – clark county mosquito control district. CCMCD. (2022, December 16). https://ccmcd.org/resource/dont-give-mosquitoes-a-place-to-breed/
