Warm summer nights are perfect for sitting on the front porch and enjoying the company of family and friends. But this time of year, there are also some unwanted guests – mosquitoes.
The pesky insects known for their itchy bites and dangerous diseases come out in full force this time of year, something that public information officer Stacy Shelp says the Orange County Health Department is ready to fight.
“With all the talk this year of Zika, we wanted to take a proactive approach in providing our residents with some resources and education that would empower them to fight the bite.”
One of the best ways to fight the bite, is to invest in mosquito dunks.
“Mosquito dunks look like a very small donut. You place them in standing water. A mosquito dunk as a whole can treat up to 100 square feet of water, but you can also break them up into smaller bodies of water like a bird bath.”
Mosquito dunks have naturally occurring bacteria that is only toxic to mosquito larvae. It prevents the insects from breeding in standing water and maturing into biting adults.
Orange County residents can stop by one of the health department’s three locations to pick up mosquito dunks on a first come, first serve basis. They can also be purchased at most home improvement and hardware stores.
But Shelp says there’s even an easier way to stop mosquitoes from breeding.
“After a rain storm, walk around your property and look where you have standing water – flower pots, gutters, leaves, also tall grass is another good place for mosquitoes to breed. So just walking around your property, taking inventory and getting rid of any standing water is the best way to strop breeding.”
In addition to eliminating standing water, Shelp advises residents to secure their homes and use protective sprays.
“Make sure you’re covered up as much as possible, using air conditioning rather than opening your windows and letting the mosquitoes in, making sure your screens don’t have holes in them – there’s a whole variety of things you can do.”
The health department is also working to place boxes with insect repellent in seven county parks. The “Spray before you Play” stations will include cans of bug spray and instructions on to how to use them. The boxes are scheduled to be installed in mid-July and remain through the end of September.
Although Shelp says mosquitoes are more active in the evenings, it doesn’t mean those warm summer nights have to go to waste. She’s got a trick for that too.
“Put a fan out there with you. Mosquitoes have a really hard time flying in that current, so it’ll keep you refreshed and the mosquitoes away.”
