Controlling Mosquitoes

How can Mosquitoes be Controlled?

Mosquitoes around the home can be reduced significantly by minimizing the amount of standing water available for mosquito breeding.

Residents are urged to reduce standing water around the home in a variety of ways, including:

• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers that have accumulated on your property.
• Empty standing water from used or discarded tires that may have accumulated on your property (e.g. tire swings).
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left out of doors.
• Clean clogged roof gutters on an annual basis, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug up the drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths.
• Change water in birdbaths and wading pools on a weekly basis.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not being used. Be aware that mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers.
• Clean animal troughs weekly.
• Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days.