Health District offers tips to avoid mosquito breeding, bites

The Lake County General Health District is anticipating an increase in the number of mosquitoes in the county due to forecasted high temperatures.

In a news release, the health district said rains over the past few weeks have left large areas of standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs.

There are currently no known cases of the Zika virus in Lake County, but mosquitoes are also the source of West Nile virus, which is native to Lake County and is a nuisance, the health district said.

Bert Mechenbier, the supervisor of mosquito control at the Health District, said in a statement the best advice is to “get rid of standing water around your house if you can and use personal protection against mosquitoes.

He also provided several tips for homeowners to keep mosquitoes for breeding in their backyards:

• Dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools, plastic covers or other containers that collect and hold water.

• Keep roof gutters unclogged. Clean gutters in the spring and fall.

• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas, and hot tubs. Keep them covered when empty.

• Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and potted trays at least once a week, if not more often.

• Make sure children’s toys are not holding water.

• Fill or drain puddles, ditches, and swampy areas and either remove, drain, or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar.

• Eliminate seepage from cisterns, cesspools, and septic tanks.

• Eliminate standing water around animal watering troughs.

• Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days.

The health district also offers tips for avoiding mosquito bites:

• Avoid being outside at dawn/dusk. If you cannot avoid those times, use a repellent.

• Use an insect repellent containing active ingredients which have been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use as repellents applied to skin and clothing. Of the products registered with the EPA, those containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and some oil of lemon eucalyptus and para-menthane-diol products provide longer-lasting protection than other products.

• Use repellents according to label instructions.

• Insect repellents can be used on pregnant women, but the EPA does not recommend any additional precautions for repellent use by pregnant or nursing women.

• Most insect repellents can be used on children. Products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus should not to be used on children under the age of three years. Do not allow children to handle or spray insect repellents. When using on children, apply to your own hands first and then put it on the child. Avoid applying repellent to children’s hands because children frequently put their hands in their eyes and mouths. EPA does not recommend any additional precautions for using registered repellents on children

• Repellents containing a higher percentage of the active ingredient typically provide longer-lasting protection. Regardless of what product you use, if you start to get mosquito bites, reapply the repellent according to the label instructions.

• Wash treated skin and clothing after returning indoors.

• Wear light-colored clothing.

• Wear long sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks if you go outside when mosquitoes are most active (from dusk until dawn).

• Avoid wearing perfume, cologne and aromatic scents.

• Make sure window and door screens are “bug tight.” Repair or replace torn screens.

• Replace outdoor lights with yellow “bug lights.”

Anyone with concerns about standing water is asked to call the health district at 440-350-2543. If standing water is on private property, permission is needed to enter the property.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE