County Health Offers Free Minnows To Pond Owners

To keep ornamental ponds from becoming mosquito breeding sites, the county will give away 200 pounds of fathead minnows on Thursday, May 7, and Friday, May 8, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We have distributed thousands of these little larval eating machines over the past two years and I am excited that we are once again sharing with our residents this natural strategy to control the mosquito population,” said Peter DeLucia, Assistant Commissioner for Public Health Protection at the Westchester County Health Department.

The minnows reduce the mosquito population because they feed on mosquito larvae and pupae before they emerge into adult mosquitoes. They are well-suited to ornamental ponds and can help reduce the spread of West Nile Virus because culex pipiens, the mosquito that can be a carrier of West Nile Virus, breeds in standing water, such as ponds and containers. They should be released in ponds that have a minimum of eight to twelve inches of water.

Residents who want minnows should bring a bucket or pail to Loop Road, Building Two at the Westchester County Airport. The building is the first right from Airport Access Road.

For more health information, like us at www.facebook.com/wchealthdept, follow us at www.twitter.com/wchealthdept, go to www.westchestergov.com/health or call us at 914-813-5000.