How Do You Protect Yourself Against Mosquito Bites and Disease?

Pregnant women are being warned not to travel to an area just north of downtown Miami, Florida, in the wake of 14 cases of Zika Virus, according to national reports. It is believed to be the first time the Centers for Disease Control has ever warned people to avoid a community in the continental United States.

In New Jersey, 61 cases of the virus have been reported.

It is against this backdrop that the Burlington County Mosquito Commission is providing tips to county residents on how to protect themselves against mosquitoes.

The virus has been linked to birth defects, and pregnant women have been identified as a group that's particularly at-risk.

In order for the virus to be transmitted in the United States, a mosquito would have to bite an infected person first before transmitting it to another person.

The Burlington County Mosquito Commission reminds residents that any amount of water incurred in an area over a seven-day period will produce mosquitoes.

Any container that holds water can be a home for mosquito larvae. After seven days, larvae will emerge as adult mosquitoes. Residents should keep containers free of standing water all year long.

• Buckets: Empty buckets and turn them over;
• Garbage cans and recycling bins: Drill drainage holes in the bottoms of garbage cans and bins, keep covered and dispose of recycling weekly;
• Tarps, plastic bags and sheets: Keep tarps tight and refit them if water collects.
• Flexible downspout extensions: Pitch downspout extensions so water drains completely after it rains or replace with a non-flexible extension that is pitched to drain fully. Keep the inside free of debris.
• Leaky hose spigots: Fix leak or call a professional plumber.
• Decks and Porches: Make sure to check under decks and porches for containers that may hold water.
• Planter saucers: Dump the water out every 3-5 days or don’t use a saucer at all.
• Planters without drainage holes: Drill holes in the bottom of your planter – it’s healthier for your plants.
• Self-watering planters: Tightly seal the watering hole after adding water. If this is not possible, treat the reservoir water with a Bti product. The most effective method for preventing mosquitoes is to not use these planters.
• Wheelbarrows: Turn wheelbarrows over or store them on end. If crevices present, check weekly and move to empty any water you find.
• Watering Cans: Empty and store upside down or in a garage or shed.
• Rain Barrels: Cover tops of rain barrels with tightly fitted screen. (Use nylon window screen and secure with a bungee cord or other tight elastic.) Mosquitoes will use the overflow hole to get in and lay their eggs; either plug hole or treat with a Bti* product.
• Bird Baths: Change water at least once a week.
• Ornamental ponds: Get fish. If that is not an option, you can use Bti* to treat for mosquito larvae.
• Behind the shed & under the shrubs: Look under bushes and in overlooked spots in the yard and remove debris that can hold water.
• Portable basketball hoops: Make sure caps for fill holes are in place; replace if lost.
• Kiddie pools: Empty or change water in kiddie pools every 5 - 7 days. Be sure to store indoors or turned over when not in use.
• Sand boxes: Drill small drainage holes in the bottom of your sand box.
• Big plastic toys, wagons, etc.: Keep toys turned over or inside when not in use. If water can get inside the plastic toy so can a mosquito - drill drainage holes in the bottom.
• Deflated toys: Drain off water, dry out, and store indoors when not in use.
• Boats: Empty all the water possible. If there is water that can’t be emptied, you can treat it with a Bti product. Cover boats in storage with taut tarps or use boat shrink wrap.
• Jet skis: Rinse out the foot depressions with a hose every week. Jet skis can be tightly tarped or stored indoors.
• Pools/pool covers: Treat the pool or pool cover with Bti* in the spring before you open it. If you know of an abandoned home in your neighborhood with an unkempt pool, call the Burlington County Health Department. It may need to be treated or stocked with fish that eat mosquito larvae.

Anyone who needs to treat mosquito larvae in a container use the low impact pesticide Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis).

It is available at many hardware stores, pond supply stores and online. It can be purchased as a granule, briquette, or liquid.

Be sure to choose a product that is registered with the US EPA, labeled to use for mosquito larva.

Closely follow the directions on the label. Residents can only use these products on their own property.

Anyone who sees standing water elsewhere should call the Burlington County Division of Mosquito Control.