Don't let mosquitoes push you indoors
Brookhaven, GA, July 5, 2018--Nothing describes summer better than spending those lazy, hazy days in backyards, at sports venues or in one of Brookhaven’s beautiful parks. However, nothing can ruin a good time outdoors during the summer months more than pesky mosquitoes.
Not only do they inflict painful, itchy bites, but mosquitoes can also transmit serious diseases and viruses. With the increased rainy weather recently, conditions are ripe for an increased mosquito population in the Atlanta area. Proper precautions, however, can minimize your exposure.
“The recent, almost daily, occurrences of pop-up rain storms have greatly increased the potential for mosquito breeding in standing water everywhere,” says Paul White, City of Brookhaven Emergency Management Coordinator. “It is important to provide residents with additional steps they can take to keep local mosquito populations under control by limiting their habitat and avoid their annoying bites.”
The City of Brookhaven Stormwater Utility Management crews remain diligent about monitoring public land for mosquito outbreaks. They maintain storm drains in public right-of-ways on a routine basis to remove debris where mosquitoes may lay eggs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 60 species of mosquitoes live in Georgia, and their habits and characteristics vary. Both males and females drink nectar and plant juices and are plant pollinators, but only females supplement their diet with blood, needed for egg production. Some species breed in permanent ponds or wetlands; other species breed in temporary waters that collect in objects around our homes or in flooded areas.
One of the main things to remember is: mosquitoes require water to breed. Here is a Top 10 Tips list on how to keep your yard mosquito-free:
1. Empty & throw away or recycle old bottles, cans and plastic containers.
2. Clean gutters to allow proper drainage.
3. Turn buckets, baby pools, and boats upside down when not in use.
4. Change water in birdbaths, ornamental ponds and fountains at least once a week. Aeration also helps.
5. Tightly cover rain barrels and open ends of drainage pipes with fine meshed screen.
6. Wash and take old tires to a tire drop-off location for recycling.
7. Fill tree holes or place Bti inside where water collects. (Bti, or dunks, are biological mosquito larvicide available at garden centers that target mosquito and black fly larvae without harming humans, pets, amphibians, dragonflies, fish or birds.)
8. Empty water from outside containers such as flowerpots, vases, dishes.
9. Repair leaky water faucets, hoses and air conditioners to avoid stagnant puddles.
10. Clean excess vegetation from ponds and stock them with fish.
There are a number of resources for additional information on mosquito control. Here are a few for your convenience:
https://www.brookhavenga.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/public_...
http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bti-mosquito-dunks-p-323.html
http://www.atlantaregional.com/environment/georgia-stormwater-manual
Please report mosquito problems coming from street storm drains or public land by emailing stormwater@brookhavenga.gov.
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Media Contact:
Burke Brennan
Director of Communications
404-637-0709
Burke.Brennan@BrookhavenGA.gov
