Contact Us
Public Health
Seattle & King County
401 5th Ave., Suite 1300
Seattle, WA 98104
Click here to email us
Phone: 206-296-4600
TTY Relay: 711
|
|
West Nile Virus
How to reduce mosquito habitats
|
This page is also available in Adobe PDF and Microsoft Word:
|
 |
|
 |
|
Reduce the chance of mosquito bites by:
 |
Reducing habitat |
 |
Preparing your home |
 |
Taking personal protection measures |
Tips to reduce mosquito habitat
|
Removing sources of standing water on your property and around your home reduces places where mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Many mosquitoes only need a few ounces of water to lay and hatch eggs. Examples of things you can do include:
- Tip out barrels, buckets and wheelbarrows
- Tip out containers such as toys, cans or plant saucers
- Empty children’s wading pools when not in use
- Change water in birdbaths and animal troughs at least once a week
- Add goldfish or koi to ornamental ponds or stock tanks to eat mosquito larva (be sure the fish are not released to natural ponds, lakes or streams)
- Get rid of used tires
- Clean garden ponds
- Recycle old bottles, buckets and cans
- Empty water from flower pot dishes
- Dump water off of tarps and plastic sheeting
- Cover rain barrels with mosquito screens
- Help your elderly or frail neighbors or relatives with these activities
- Clean leaf-clogged gutters
- Make sure water drains off flat-top roofs
- Repair leaky outdoor faucets
- Repair ripped windows and door screens and make sure they fit tight
- Consider adding a screen door to doors that often are left open
We will never be able to eliminate all mosquitoes. Take personal protection to avoid being bitten. When mosquitoes are out – often at dawn and dusk:
- Wear long sleeve shirts and long pants. Hats are also useful.
- Consider wearing an insect repellent. Repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) are effective and safe. Products with the highest percentage of DEET are effective for longer periods. Chose lower DEET concentrations when only an hour or two of protection is needed.
- DEET-free alternatives recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention include products that contain picaridin (KBR 3023) and oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-menthane 3,8-diol (PMD)]. These alternatives generally do not provide protection for as long as DEET. Those who are outdoors all day in mosquito-infested areas may want to stick with DEET. For current information about mosquito repellents from the Centers for Disease Control, see www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/RepellentUpdates.htm
- For more information about how repellents work and how to use them safely, see www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm#more
- The
American
Academy
of Pediatrics advises that DEET products not be used on infants under 2 months of age. The Academy has no age recommendations on picaridin products. Oil of lemon eucalyptus products should not be used on children under 3 years of age. Whenever using any repellent product, it is important to read the label and follow the instructions carefully. For more information about repellent use for children, see www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/qa/insect_repellent.htm#kids
|
|
|
