West Nile Prevention Tips

Montgomery County has issued statements indicating they are spraying in areas of Montgomery Township and Pottstown to prevent the West Nile virus.  They have also announced tips to prevent mosquito breeding grounds, since the virus is spread through mosquito bites:

There are things that everyone can do around the home to help eliminate mosquito-breeding areas. Some of these tips include:

 

• Identify and eliminate all sources of standing water that collects on your property. Mosquitoes will breed in any puddle that lasts for more than four days.
• Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water holding containers that have collected on your property. Do not overlook containers that have become overgrown by aquatic vegetation.
• Pay special attention to discarded tires that may have collected water on your property. They can serve as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left out of doors. Drainage holes that are located on the container sides collect enough water for mosquitoes to breed in.
• Have clogged roof gutters cleaned on an annual basis, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to block drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use. A wading pool becomes a place for mosquitoes to breed if it is not used on a regular basis.
• Turn over wheelbarrows and do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens are fashionable but become major mosquito breeding grounds if they are allowed to stagnate.
• Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated. A swimming pool that is left untended becomes a source of mosquito breeding. Be aware that mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on swimming pool covers.