Fight the bite — a collective effort

Published: Wednesday, June 6, 2018

By KIM HORTON
Times-News Columnist

It’s already that time of year — warmer weather, outdoor activities and summer fun. However, along with the good comes the bad — the ticks and mosquitoes.

Sometimes we’re enjoying the season so much that protecting ourselves from these disease-carrying pests is overlooked. But that’s to our detriment. A recent CDC report found that illnesses caused by ticks, mosquitoes and fleas have more than tripled in the United States between 2004 and 2016 — jumping from 27,388 annual cases to more than 96,000.

Officials say the number might be even higher because many infections are not reported or recognized.

The increase in cases is the result of many factors, including mosquitoes and ticks moving into new areas as well as travel and commerce transporting a mosquito-borne disease from one country to another.

Yet the basics of protection remain the same: wear protective clothing and use insect repellent.

But how often do we think about protecting our home? Is it possible to make where you live a bite-free zone— inside and outside?

Start with actions to keep mosquitoes from breeding:

  • Remove standing water where mosquitoes could lay eggs.
  • Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water. The list can include tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flower pot saucers, or trash containers. Mosquitoes lay eggs in and near water.
  • 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 larvicides to treat large containers of water that will not be used for drinking and cannot be covered or dumped out.
  • 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.
  • Get rid of all standing water. Mosquitoes can lay eggs in as little as a teaspoon of water and can develop in any water that stands for more than five days.
  • Use an outdoor insect spray made to kill mosquitoes in areas where they rest (dark, humid areas like under patio furniture, or under the carport or garage). When using insecticides, always follow label instructions.

Second, keep those mosquitoes out of your home.

  • Install or repair window and door screens.
  • Use window and door screens; do not leave doors propped open.
  • Use air conditioning when possible.
  • Search and kill mosquitoes inside your home. Mosquitoes rest in dark, humid places like under the sink, in closets, under furniture, or in the laundry room.

As for ticks, protecting your home includes checking and treating your pets, creating tick-safe zones in your yard and keeping deer away.

  • Treat your dogs and cats for ticks as recommended by a veterinarian.
  • Daily check your pets for ticks when they come indoors, especially in the summer months.

Since ticks need higher humidity levels to survive, work on making your home environment a drier environment.

  • Remove leaf litter and clear tall grass and brush around houses and at the edges of lawns.
  • Place wood chips or gravel between lawns and or play areas and wooded areas to create a dry barrier that is difficult for ticks to cross.

Keep deer away by removing plants that attract them and, instead, planting deer-resistant crops. In addition, consider fencing your property. Fences make great neighbors and discourage tick-infested deer from coming near homes.

To whether it is possible to make where you live a bite-free zone — inside and outside, the answer is yes with a caveat. It will require a collective effort — you, your neighbors and the community—all working to reduce mosquitoes in and around your home and in your neighborhood.

Remember and repeat: 1. Tip and toss. 2. Prevent bites 3. Keep them out.

An important part of the Health Department’s Mosquito and Vector Control Program is that a specialist can visit your home to suggest steps to reduce mosquito breeding opportunities. Our homes are familiar territory and having a second set of eyes to identify potential mosquito breeding areas can make a big difference. To request a site visit for a mosquito-related problem or to inquire further, please call (828) 694-6042.

For more information about preventing both mosquito and tick bites, visit hendersoncountync.org/health. Click on the Community Interest tab on the left and then Fight the Bite. 

Kim Horton is the communications manager for the Henderson County Department of Public Health. She can be reached at khorton@hendersoncountync.org.

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