West Nile Virus Prevention and Control
Mosquito Control and Protection Suggestions
Mosquitoes transmit West Nile Virus. Mosquitoes need water to breed and mature. Even a small amount of water can provide a breeding place for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes hatch and grow in just a few days. There may be breeding places in your yard and around your farmyard.
Here are some things you can do to help control mosquitoes in your community.
- Empty water from buckets, tarps, toys, cemetery urns, water troughs, or other containers.
- Get rid of old tires.
- Change water every other day in birdbaths, fountains, rain barrels, and potted plant trays.
- Drain or fill puddles and low spots with dirt or landscape to reduce standing
- Treat and clean swimming pools and keep them circulating.
- Wear long sleeves and long pants if you must be in areas with lots of mosquitoes.
- Make sure windows and door screens are "bug tight."
- Turn off lights that attract mosquitoes.
- Replace outdoor lights with yellow "bug" lights".
- Get rid of old cans, containers, pots or other water-holding containers on your property.
- Drill holes in the bottom of containers that must be left outdoors, such as garbage cans.
- Check your roof gutters and adjust to eliminate standing water.
- Seal cisterns, septic tanks and fire barrels.
- Turn over children’s wading pools when not in use.
- Turn over wheelbarrows, or keep them where they will not collect water.
- Fix leaky taps, faucets and sprinklers.
- Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish (South Dakota native fathead or killifish minnows).
- Fill in tree rot holes and hollow stumps that hold water.
- Keep weeds and tall grass cut short; adult mosquitoes look for these shady places to rest during the hot daylight hours.
- Use a flyswatter or household spray to kill mosquitoes inside buildings.
- Limit time outdoors from dusk to midnight when Culex mosquitoes are most active.
- Use mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 when necessary, following label directions and precautions carefully.
- Some communities use chemicals to kill mosquito larvae and occasionally spray or fog to kill adult mosquito. If you have any questions, call your local mosquito control person.