As part of California Mosquito Awareness Week, April 16 – 22, San Bernardino County Environmental Health Services Mosquito and Vector Control Program (MVCP) encourages residents to take action to prevent mosquito breeding by dumping and draining any standing water in and around their home.
“In addition to itchy bites and being a nuisance, mosquitoes can transmit diseases like West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, Western Equine encephalitis, and Zika. I urge residents to take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites” said San Bernardino County Health Officer Michael A. Sequeira, M.D.
Some mosquitoes need as little as a bottle cap’s worth of standing water to lay their eggs and reproduce. Depending on the mosquito species, they can lay anywhere from 50 to 300 eggs.
With the extremely wet winter that we experienced, there is likely to be a lot of standing water in every neighborhood of the county, creating a prime environment for mosquitos to breed. To reduce the chance that mosquitoes will ruin your spring, MVCP has the following tips:
- Drain or dump all standing water in and around your home where mosquitoes can lay eggs such as birdbaths, old tires, buckets, flowerpot saucers, clogged gutters, or even puddles from leaky sprinklers.
- Repair or drain any pools, ponds, and spas in poor working order. For ponds, MVCP offers free mosquito fish to residents in the service area.
- Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens that have tears or holes to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
- Wear shoes, socks, pants, and long-sleeved shirts that are loose-fitting and light-colored when going outdoors.
- Apply insect repellent. Check that your insect repellent contains DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus and apply it according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Report green pools to MVCP.
- Report any dead birds to the California Department of Public Health’s West Nile Virus Call Center at 1-877-WNV-BIRD. As birds are susceptible to the West Nile virus, any dead birds (e.g., crows, jays, magpies, ravens, sparrows, finches, or raptors) found in local areas should be reported to assist in monitoring for the virus. To learn more about the West Nile virus or where to report a dead bird, please visit westnile.ca.gov.
For more information or to report a green pool or other mosquito breeding source, contact MVCP at (800) 442-2283 or visit our website, ehs.sbcounty.gov.