What You Can Do As a Homeowner
- Empty or clean out all water-holding containers in your yard (bird baths, tires, cans, rain barrels, wading pools) – 1 small can of water can hold as many as 10,000 mosquito larvae.
- Keep your gutters cleaned.
- Keep ornamental ponds free of weeds, cattails, or other aquatic vegetation.
- Use anti-larval products (dunks or bits) available at local hardware stores and use them in ponds or standing water.
Adult mosquitoes are most active at dawn and for about an hour after dusk. Plan outdoor activities during warmer daylight hours or later in the evening to avoid adult biting mosquitoes.
- Keep your lawn mowed as short as possible.
- Cut back dense vegetation surrounding your yard; this is where mosquitoes hide during the day.
- Keep ornamental shrubs and bushes pruned to allow more light and air to flow through them.
Farmers & Agricultural Landowners
- Keep irrigation ditches free-flowing and clear of vegetation and debris.
Repair ditches to reduce seepage. - Minimize standing water to less than four (4) days in fields.
- Fill tire ruts and hoofprints to avoid puddles.
- Keep horse and cattle troughs clean by changing the water weekly.
- Vaccinate horses for Western Equine Encephalitis.
