| There are things every
individual can do around the home to help eliminate mosquito-breeding
areas. Some of these tips include:
o Dispose of tin cans, plastic
containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers that have
collected on your property.
o Pay attention to discarded
tires. Stagnant water in tires are where most mosquitoes breed.
o Drill holes in the bottom of
recycling containers left outdoors.
o Have clogged roof gutters
cleaned every year, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have
a tendency to plug up the drains. Roof gutters can produce millions of
mosquitoes each season.
o Turn over plastic wading
pools when not in use. Stagnant water in a wading pool becomes a place for
mosquitoes to breed.
o Turn over wheelbarrows and
don't let water stagnate in birdbaths. Both provide breeding habitats for
domestic mosquitoes.
o Aerate ornamental pools or
stock them with fish. Water gardens can become major mosquito producers if
they are allowed to stagnate. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in
use. A swimming pool left untended by a family on vacation for a month can
produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints.
Mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on pool covers.
o Use landscaping to eliminate
standing water that collects on your property. Mosquitoes may breed in any
puddle that lasts for more than four days.
<> More information on West Nile
virus is available through the PA Power Port at www.state.pa.us,
PA Keyword: "DEP West Nile."
|
Borough of Sewickley Heights