NEW CITY – Mosquito season is here and the Rockland County Health Department is beginning the annual ritual of treating catch basins and storm drains to prevent them from breeding in standing water inside those structures.
“Not all mosquitoes carry diseases, but several species can sometimes spread potentially dangerous diseases like West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis to humans,” said County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.
County officials say the best and most effective mosquito control begins in your backyard. Eliminating standing water is the first step in reducing the mosquito threat. Residents can help by regularly checking their property for any items that can hold stagnant water, such as plant saucers, dog bowls, and birdbaths, and replace them with fresh water daily.
Remove objects around your yard that collect water. Anything left outside, such as kids’ toys, buckets, wading pools, canoes, and wheelbarrows, such be flipped over when not in use to prevent them from collecting any water.
Mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water. The eggs hatch into larvae that develop in the water for seven to 10 days before emerging as adult mosquitoes that fly and bite.
Since the West Nile virus outbreak in 1999, the health department has been collecting, identifying, and tracking mosquitoes in their adult and larval stages and providing education to the public to reduce the mosquito population.
