Deter Mosquitos with Minnows and More: Westchester Helps Residents Prep their Property

HARRISON, NY — Do you have a pool, a pond, a rain barrel, a birdbath? They're all prime mosquito breeding sites. Eliminating mosquito breeding sites at your home will help prevent bites and the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile Virus and Zika.

Here's how to start: the Westchester County Health Department will offer free minnows, mosquito dunks and educational materials to residents on four Mosquito Control Days this week.

The action will be taking place at the Westchester County Airport, 2 Loop Road, West Harrison NY 10604.

Health department staff will be available to answer questions and give out “Keep Healthy and Bug Off” brochures, which offer advice on how residents can prevent mosquito bites and eliminate standing water around their homes to keep mosquitoes from breeding – and biting – nearby. (With warm weather here, keep updated on the seasonal appearance of mosquito-borne diseases. Get Patch’s daily newsletter, news alerts and updates.)

Plus, there will be free minnows (a lovely addition to any ornamental pond) and free 'dunks' for the aforementioned pools, rain barrels and birdbaths.

Mosquito Control Days are scheduled for:

• Friday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Friday, May 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Saturday, May 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Residents with ornamental ponds should add fathead minnows to the water to keep it from becoming a mosquito breeding site. The dunks serve the same purpose in birdbaths, rain barrels and unused pools.

Residents who plan to pick up minnows should bring a bucket or pail; minnows will be distributed in watertight plastic bags, and residents should plan to bring them straight home and release them immediately into ponds with at least eight inches of water.

To help prevent mosquitoes from breeding and biting, residents should eliminate standing water from around their properties, especially after it rains.

Large areas of standing water on public property that cannot easily be removed should be reported to the health department at (914) 813-5000.

MORE POSTS OF INTEREST: Arrest Made In Fatal Theater Stabbing | $1M Lottery Ticket Sold In Hudson Valley | Town Supervisor’s Trial Begins

Meanwhile,the county is doing more on the mosquito-fighting front:

To eliminate breeding sites, the health department will begin to apply larvicide to catch basins that hold standing water but are clear of debris starting May 8th. Larvaciding teams will evaluate all catch basins on county and municipal roads over the next few months and treat as needed.

To learn more about mosquito prevention, visit the health department’s website.

PHOTO/ Westchester County Health Department