Memorial Day Ushers In Mosquito Season, Ga. Health Officials Say (ICYMI)

ATLANTA, GA — Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer and, in Georgia, that means the return of some unwelcome guests at our outdoor gatherings — mosquitoes.

Avoiding mosquito bites protects you and your family from mosquito-borne illnesses and helps prevent those illnesses from spreading to others, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

With the holiday weekend approaching, the department issued a set of tips to help prevent mosquito bites and control the number of the pesky insects in your yard:

• The Georgia Department of Public Health recommends the use of EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET (20%-30%) or Picaridin, IR3535 or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. Follow all label instructions for safe and effective use.
• If you’re using sunscreen, apply it first, then insect repellent.
• Wear light colored clothing including loose-fitting long sleeves, pants and socks to help protect against mosquito bites.
• Around your house, "Tip and Toss" every week, or after every time it rains. Get ride of unnecessary items that hold water and tip standing water out of flowerpots, planters, children's toys, wading pools and buckets.
• Toss out items you don't need that hold water, like old tires, bottles and cans.
• Make sure doors and windows fit tightly and are in good repair to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. Limit outdoor activities during those hours.

The health department reminds Georgians traveling abroad that the mosquito-borne Dengue virus and chikungunya virus are typically found in the tropics and subtropic and urges anyone planning to travel there to pack insect repellent.

Zika virus is found in many countries and territories and has been identified in Florida and Texas. There have been no local transmissions of Zika in Georgia, according to the department, but the state has seen 118 travel-related cases since January 2016.

West Nile also is transmitted by mosquitoes throughout Georgia.
For more information about mosquitoes and the diseases they carry, visit mosquito-information pages on the state Department of Public Health website or the website for the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

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