Aside from being a pesky addition to your outdoor fun, several mosquito species have been linked to carrying West Nile virus, an infection that can cause serious illness. There are 70 different species of mosquitoes in New York State, so how can we best avoid and reduce our exposure to mosquitoes?
Some mosquitos are
most active between dusk and dawn when the air is calm, and that is when the
females are most likely to bite. However, others will feed at any time of the
day.
Some mosquitos lay
their eggs in standing water around the home. They can develop in any standing
water that remains more than four days. Weeds, tall grass and shrubbery provide
an outdoor home for adult mosquitoes, which may also enter houses through
unscreened windows and doors, or broken screens. Many kinds of mosquitoes will
breed in discarded tires.
How can you reduce
the number of mosquitos around your home?
·
Make
sure all windows and doors have screens, and are kept repaired
·
Turn
over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use
·
Remove
leaf debris, used tires, containers, pots of similar water-holding containers
