Stop Mosquitoes from Breeding in Your Yard in Pelham

As the as the federal CDC advises pregnant women to avoid travel to Zika-affected areas, including Miami, county and state officials are warning residents to take precautions to prevent being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes.

"We want homeowners to be diligent and homeowners to take action," said New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Tuesday as he announced new measures to prevent Zika virus in New York City.

Many types of mosquitoes, including those that can spread disease, can lay their eggs in even the smallest amounts of standing water around the home such as in flowerpots, birdbaths, bottle caps, and discarded tires. Others lay their eggs in small ponds or other bodies of water.

"According to Rutgers University, one child's toy left outdoors could produce nearly 1,200,000 mosquitoes in a single summer," said Rockland County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert.

Most mosquitoes are active between dusk and dawn and will bite when the air is calm. Other mosquitoes, especially the types that breed in containers, will bite at any time of the day.

In other parts of the world, including Central and South America, the Zika virus has been mainly spread by a mosquito bite from the species Aedes aegypti, which is not present in New York State. However, a related species of mosquito, Aedes albopictus (also known as the Asian Tiger Mosquito) is present in Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties.

Westchester County Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, MD, said advice to help residents avoid Zika can also help them steer clear of West Nile Virus, which typically appears in our region at this time of year.

Since the West Nile virus outbreak in 1999, county health departments have been collecting, identifying and tracking mosquitoes, both in their adult and larval stages, and providing education and free mosquito control products to the public in an effort to reduce the mosquito population. In addition, program staff conduct routine and complaint-based inspections at many commercial properties that are considered "high risk" for mosquito breeding, including tire-storage facilities, landscaper yards, municipal storage yards, outdoor swimming pool facilities, horse farms, marinas, and garden centers, as well as respond to complaints against private residential properties.

This year, for the first time, the New York State Department of Health has asked counties to set out additional traps for the Aedes albopictus mosquito so that these mosquitoes can be tested to see if they are infected.

Both Rockland County and New York City have reported several batches of mosquitoes that have tested positive for West Nile Virus. While no mosquitoes found in Westchester County have tested positive for the virus to date, this is the time of year when the Health Department expects to find them.

Here's how to keep your property from being a mosquito breeding ground:

• Check your property for ANY items that can hold water. Even small items, such as drinking cups or soda cans, can producemosquitoes. Get rid of the items or empty the water out and scrub the inside of the item at least once a week.
• Drill drain holes in the bottoms of recycling containers, turn over wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use, and remove all discarded tires.
• Tightly cover water storage containers (buckets, cisterns, rain barrels) so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs. For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito.

• Use an outdoor flying insect spray where mosquitoes rest. Mosquitoes rest in dark, humid areas like under patio furniture, or under the carport or garage. When using insecticides, always follow label instructions.
• If you have a septic tank, repair cracks or gaps. Cover open vent or plumbing pipes. Use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito.
• Make sure that roof gutters drain properly.
• Clear vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds and remove leaf debris from yards and gardens.

Here are some other ways you can take steps to protect yourself and your family:

• Use insect repellent or avoid the outdoors in the late afternoon and early evening when mosquitoes are active and feeding.
• Be sure to follow the instructions on the label. Adults can apply insect repellents with up to 30 percent DEET on infants over two months of age by applying the product to their own hands and then rubbing their hands on their children. Products containing DEET are not recommended for use on children under two months of age.
• Wash treated skin when mosquito exposure has ended.

• Wear protective clothing, such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and socks when outdoors and at times when mosquitoes are active.
• Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens and repair or replace screens that have tears or holes.
• Couples planning a pregnancy are advised to avoid pregnancy for eight weeks after they travel to regions where Zika is spreading. Residents who return from these areas are also urged to use repellents daily for three weeks after their return to protect their families and communities.

Mosquito dunks for Rockland homeowner swimming pool use are available free of charge at the Health Department, Building D, 50 Sanatorium Road in Pomona, Monday - Friday, from 9 am to 4 pm, while supplies last.

New York residents can also request free larvicide tablets by calling the New York State Department of Health at 1-888-364-4723.

"If the homeowners are doing what they need to do, we've been speaking with commercial property owners who are aware of it and then the government facilities are ahead of it, then we're doing everything we can do and that is the goal," Cuomo said.