Mosquito Prevention Checklist

This checklist is taken from written materials provided by the County of San Diego Vector Control Program. It is a thorough list of things you can do to check your home for mosquito breeding sources. Mosquitos can transmit West Nile Virus and other diseases. Please help keep your neighborhood safe by following these simple directions.

1. Birdbaths: Clean weekly

2. Chain link fence: Cap uncapped fence pipes

3. Containers: Cover or turn upside down

4. Decorative ponds: Stock with mosquito eating fish that eat larvae

5. Drains: Keep outdoor drains flowing freely

6. Dumpsters: Keep covered and remove any water inside or underneath them

7. Faucets and hoses: Fix any leaks

8. Flat roofs: Inspect for puddles after it rains

9. Irrigation: Do not over water, and repair areas with standing water

10. Lawn ornaments: Check for areas that hold water

11. Machinery: Cover and clean any areas that may hold water

12. Playground: Drill drainage holes in tire swings and play ground equipment that holds water

13. Pools/spas: Drain, cover, or stock mosquito fish in unused pools and spas

14. Potted plants: Do not over water and empty saucers weekly

15. Rain gutters: Clean out debris so water flows freely

16. Tires: Dispose or drill holes for water drainage

17. Tool sheds: Eliminate water around foundation

18. Trash cans: Clean weekly and keep covered

19. Unused pipes: Store flat so no water collects

20. Water troughs for animals: Replace water weekly, stock with mosquito fish for larger animal troughs

21. Wheelbarrows: Store upright so water does not collect

See previous blogs for more information on mosquitos and West Nile Virus.

West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus Cycle - click on image to enlarge

Although the weather is cooling down, the threat of West Nile Virus is still with us. The blog today and tomorrow will largely be taken from a letter sent out by San Diego County's Vector Control Program, part of the Department of Environmental Health. Perhaps you've received a similar letter warning that West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in your neighborhood. Here are some notes from the letter, copied in an effort to better educate our readers and customers - and keep you safer.

West Nile Virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. The symptoms of WNV include: headache, fever, nausea, fatigue, skin rash or swollen glands. About one in 150 people infected with WNV develop more severe symptoms, such as meningitis, encephalitis, or myelitis. If you think you have symptoms of WNV, contact your healthcare provider.

The best protection against WNV is to prevent mosquito bites and mosquito breeding. To prevent mosquito bites it is very important to use mosquito repellent, avoid going outdoors at dawn and dusk, wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors, and keep door and window screens closed and in good repair.

You can also protect the health of your family, friends and neighbors by controlling mosquitoes and eliminating the places where they breed. Mosquitoes can lay their eggs in as little as a quarter inch of standing water. Look for and remove standing water from your property.

Vector Control Technicians are constantly surveying and treating mosquito breeding sites in San Diego. See our previous blogs here for more information on the Vector Control Program, one of the finest in the country. If you know of any sources of standing water or mosquito breeding sites, including neglected "green" swimming pools, please call them at 858-694-2888. They will send a technician to investigate and treat the site. For more information on mosquitoes or WNV, visit the Vector Control website at www.SDFightTheBite.com or call 888-551-4636.

Tomorrow's blog will give Vector Control's checklist of things you can do to maintain your property and increase personal safety against West Nile Virus.

Good Bug/ Bad Bug

While researching last week's blogs on "good bugs," the kind that eat destructive bugs in our yards and communities, I was struck by the claim on one website that "If all the good bugs were taken from the earth, mankind could only live for a few weeks." Of course, we depend on good bugs for pollination and balance in the insect world. But in light of this claim, I was interested to read in our Sunday newspaper supplement that the world would be no worse off without mosquitos. They do not fall into the "good bug" category.  According to Parade Magazine's Marilyn Vos Savant, if all the mosquitos on earth disappeared other bugs would take their place in the food chain and we would be safer from the diseases spread by these noxious insects. As mentioned previously here, mosquitos are carriers of malaria, encephalitis, yellow fever, dengue fever, meningitis, and - more significantly here in Southern California, West Nile virus.

So how do we maintain a healthy yard, keeping bad bugs at bay while encouraging the good ones? Several approaches can be helpful. First, take precautions in your yard to diminish the favorable habitats of bad bugs like mosquitos. Empty any containers that may have filled with water from the recent rains. Keep pools chemically balanced and keep water off pool covers. Consider obtaining Gambusia fish, for decorative ponds. These "mosquitofish" are often available at no cost through the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health: 858-694-2888. Other ways to safeguard your home against mosquitos: change water in bird baths at least once a week; keep litter and garden debris out of rain gutters; do not over water your yard; fill holes in landscaping left by tree removal; make an inspection of your yard to assure that you do not have standing water anywhere. 

Another aspect of maintaining a healthy balance between good bugs and bad bugs is to avoid broadcast spraying, or trying to kill every bug in sight. Customers occasionally call who do not want to see bugs of any kind. Rather than specify an insect which is causing concern, such as cockroaches or fleas, they want us to just "kill everything!" Hopefully last week's series on good bugs will cause homeowners to think twice about those hard-working bugs that keep the planet buzzing. We are not sure about the idea that mankind would only survive a few weeks without good bugs, but we would rather not find out. Help us maintain a good balance by identifying targeting only the harmful bugs. For a list of good bugs in California, click here.

Bug Bite Prevention

A recent article in U.S. News and World Report lists recommendations from the U.S. National Library of Medicine on how to safely apply insect repellant. Protective clothing is always a good idea, especially when camping or enjoying the outdoors at dawn or dusk. But these tips on how to apply insect repellant may come in handy for the nature lovers among us.

1. Consider applying insect repellent to clothing to avoid skin irritation.

2. It doesn't take much! Use a minimum amount of repellant on exposed skin, avoiding contact with the eyes. Wash it off as soon as you come inside.

3. Although DEET is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, the article cautions against using such a highly concentrated repellent on children and pregnant women.

4. Be careful to never ingest or inhale insect repellent.

5. Avoid putting a lot of repellent on young children's hands - the danger here is that they may inadvertently rub their eyes or put fingers in mouths.

6. Children under 2 years of age should not wear insect repellent for more than 24 hours.

For more information on bug-repellent clothing, see our previous blog entry here. Another article on avoiding mosquito bites can be found at Newsweek's online site. San Diego Country's Vector Control division has great information on mosquito facts and control here. Although summer is winding down, we have had some humid days and several cases of West Nile virus reported locally. For an update on reported cases of West Nile in San Diego County, click here. Taking reasonable precautions just seems sensible.

Mosquitos in the News

Mosquitos are making front-page news today in San Diego. The San Diego Union-Tribune features a large article on the increase in "green pools" in the area and how they are breeding havens for mosquitos. Apparently, one side effect of the slump in the housing market and the increasing number of foreclosures is the neglect of neighborhood swimming pools. Without proper care, these pools become green breeding ponds, attracting mosquitos that lay eggs on the surface. Literally working overtime, vector control agents here are doing all they can to keep us safe. Here are some interesting facts from the article.

County environmental health officers have spotted nearly 900 "green" pools since May, using sheriff's helicopters to survey the city from the air. Mosquitos that hatch from these pools are rarely infected with the West Nile virus, but the incidence of birds that have died from the virus in the area has increased. Mosquitos that feed on infected birds and then on humans pass along the virus. What this means is that lowering the number of mosquitos in the San Diego area will lower the risk of human infection. For this reason, the county advises pool owners to maintain a proper chemical balance in their pools. Free mosquito-eating fish are available for ponds or green pools at the vector control office at 9325 Hazard Way, or by calling 858-695-2888. They advise us to use insect repellant containing the active ingredient DEET, wear protective clothing, repair window and door screens, and dump containers of stagnant water. For more information, go to sdfighhtthebite.com or westnile.ca.gov.

West Nile Warning

San Diegans love the outdoors. Our temperate weather, beautiful landscapes, and proximity to nature's best venues draw us out - especially at this time of year. But last week the Union-Tribune reported two more cases of West Nile Virus here in San Diego County, and a recent online article posted by the County warns about the arrival of this summer's most unwanted tourists, the mosquitoes that carry this disease. These warnings shouldn't drive us all indoors, but may give us the tools we need to protect ourselves and our families.

West Nile Virus is spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Although it is potentially dangerous, only one in 150 people who are infected develop severe illness. Most at risk are the elderly and people with impaired immune systems. Eighty percent of people infected will show no symptoms at all. Symptoms can include fever, head and body aches, nausea, and swollen lymph glands. More serious indications include convulsions, disorientation, vision loss, and even coma. A local West Nile victim shared her experience here  in hopes of educating the public about the disease and its effects.

The County's West Nile Virus website gives information on the Vector Control Program's monthly larviside applications at area parks and open spaces where mosquitos are known to breed, as well as listing ways we can protect ourselves against the disease. The first thing homeowners can do, as touched on here in a previous post, is to inspect yard areas for mosquito breeding sources. Drain standing water in unused pools, buckets, flowerpots, bird baths, etc. You  might be surprised at the sources in your own backyard. Make sure windows and doors are properly screened, and that the screens are in good repair. If you have an ornamental pond, consider stocking it with Gambusia, or Mosquito Fish. The County advises we limit outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active, use insect repellant, and avoid sleeping outdoors unprotected when camping. Vector Control also encourages county residents to report dead birds. For more information on the Vector Control program, call (858)694-2888 or visit the California West Nile Virus Website.

Everything but Vampires

Yesterday's San Diego Union-Tribune had an article on bug-repellent clothing citing its effectiveness against mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies and chiggers - all the blood suckers of summer except vampires - and maybe bedbugs. How does it work? Permethrin, a man-made version of a natural repellent found in chrysanthemums, is used in making the shirts, hats, pants and bandanas. It kills bugs by disrupting their nervous systems. According the the article, clothing permeated with Permethrin works well for up to 70 washings, a good value if you plan a trip to a highly insect-ridden area. The International Journal of Medical Microbiology reported a protection rate of 95.5 percent when using permethrin-treated clothing. Made by Insect Shield, the apparel is expensive, but can be found at local retailer REI or ordered on the web at LL Bean, Orvis, Exofficio, Mad Dog, or Sloggers. Mosquitos and other blood-sucking insects can carry diseases such as West Nile Virus and malaria. As noted in a previous blog, repellent sprays are also effective against bites. For more tips on summer mosquito control, click  here.

Are You a Mosquito Magnet?

Do mosquitoes and fleas attack you while leaving other family members bite-free? Many have long thought blood-feeding insects show a preference to certain individuals, and now there is scientific evidence in support of that theory. According to a recent article in Newsweek Online, each person's body chemistry plays a part in either attracting these pesky bugs or leaving them cold.  Mosquitoes can detect a tasty target from nearly 100 feet away! So what can you do to make yourself less appealing to these unwelcome guests? The article states that scientists have not identified every body chemistry combination that mosquitoes prefer - but indicates they may have a preference for "artificially sweet-scented bodies." They also prefer darker fabrics. So stay away from cloying perfumes, black or blue clothing, and make sure your clothing isn't too tight. And to be really safe, use a Centers for Disease Control-approved repellent, such as DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or IR3535. Since mosquitoes usually breed in standing water, check your property for spots that are over-irrigated, or containers that collect rain water - keep them empty and dry. If you have a pond in your landscaping, consider stocking it with  "mosquitofish" or Gambusia affinis, sometimes available through the County of San Diego Department of Environmental Health: 858-694-2888.