(ACCOMAC, Va.)— The Eastern Shore Health District asks the community to take measures now that will help control the mosquito population as temperatures warm up and help reduce the spread of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile, Eastern, Western, and Venezuelan Encephalitis, that occur in Virginia, some rarely, and Chikungunya, Dengue, and most recently in the news Zika Virus, that come into our region through exposed travelers.
The Aedes mosquitos which can transmit Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue Fever viruses, have adapted very well to human habitats, by being able to lay eggs that survive long periods without water and that can hatch and grow into larvae after a rain shower in a size as small as a bottle cap. Differing greatly in habitat from the more familiar marsh mosquitos that thrive near marshes in tidal zones, the larger Aedes species, with recognizable white striping, feeds during daylight hours when people are most likely to be outside, versus the marsh mosquitos that primarily feed at dusk.
There are many things that families on the Eastern Shore of Virginia can do to protect themselves from mosquitos on their own property and in their community:
1. Reduce mosquito breeding grounds by eliminating standing water on your property:
a. Maintain gutters to drain well and keep gutters and down spouts clean.
b. Eliminate standing water areas with better grading and/or drainage. Where this is a challenge, use mosquito dunks containing a biocontrol that are available at most hardware stores.
c. Clean up all trash on your property, especially old tires and anything that can contain water.
d. Keep your outdoor trash bins covered at all times.
e. Empty water after each rainfall from flower trays, buckets, boat covers, tarps, flat roofs and any other water that collects on your property.
f. At least once per week, clean out bird baths and wading pools.
2. Be a good neighbor:
a. Assist your elderly or disabled neighbors with yard clean-up steps mentioned above.
b. Once a week, pick up trash on your road where you live, to keep ditches draining well.
c. Notify the county when your neighborhood experiences flooding after downfalls. Counties have equipment to improve storm drainage issues.
3. Plant mosquito repelling plants in your flower and vegetable gardens and around your doorsteps. Marigolds, Catnip, Lemongrass, Lemon Thyme, Citronella Grass, Cedars, Mint, Rosemary, Lavender, Clove, and others are naturally fragrant and repel mosquitos.
4. Grow plants that you can use in homemade natural sprays, such as Basil, Bee Balm, Garlic, Lemon Balm, Tea Tree Oil and others.
5. Give mosquito-repelling plants and seeds as gifts to friends and family, to plant in the garden or yard this year instead of cut flowers (or in addition to cut flowers).
6. Make your property attractive to mosquito-eating predators, such as Purple Martins, swallows, migratory song birds, waterfowl, bats, dragon flies, toads, turtles and fish:
a. Put up bird houses on your property.
b. Add native fish to ponds on your property.
c. Refrain from spraying pesticides that are harmful to mosquito predators.
7. When outdoors in mosquito habitats, use personal protection:
a. Wear long loose light colored clothing.
b. Use personal repellents:
i. Repellent products containing DEET and Picaridin typically provide longer lasting protection than others.
ii. Oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant-based repellent, provides protection similar to lower concentrations of DEET.
c. Treat clothes before the season with permethrin. Permethrin will remain in the cloth during several cycles of washing. Tents, window screens, and head nets are examples of other materials that can be treated with permethrin. Avoid spraying permethrin on the skin. Permethrin kills mosquitos and has the additional benefit of killing ticks and flies on contact.
For more information about mosquito-borne diseases and mosquito control, you can visit the Virginia Department of Health website. https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/epidemiology/DEE/Vectorborne/.
For more information about West Nile Fever, Chikungunya, Dengue Fever, and Zika and other viruses that cause disease in people, please find the most up to date information at the Centers for Disease Control. http://www.cdc.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Release #AC 02-16
February 18, 2016
For More Information Contact
Dr. David O. Matson, District Director
23191 Front Street Accomac, Virginia 23301 ● www.vdh.virginia.gov