West Nile Virus Prevention and Control

Mosquito Control and Protection Suggestions

Mosquitoes transmit West Nile Virus. Mosquitoes need water to breed and mature. Even a small amount of water can provide a breeding place for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes hatch and grow in just a few days. There may be breeding places in your yard and around your farmyard.

Here are some things you can do to help control mosquitoes in your community.

• Empty water from buckets, tarps, toys, cemetery urns, water troughs, or other containers.
• Get rid of old tires.
• Change water every other day in birdbaths, fountains, rain barrels, and potted plant trays.
• Drain or fill puddles and low spots with dirt or landscape to reduce standing
  water.
• Treat and clean swimming pools and keep them circulating.
• Wear long sleeves and long pants if you must be in areas with lots of mosquitoes.
• Make sure windows and door screens are "bug tight."
• Turn off lights that attract mosquitoes.
• Replace outdoor lights with yellow "bug" lights".
• Get rid of old cans, containers, pots or other water-holding containers on your property.
• Drill holes in the bottom of containers that must be left outdoors, such as garbage cans.
• Check your roof gutters and adjust to eliminate standing water.
• Seal cisterns, septic tanks and fire barrels.
• Turn over children’s wading pools when not in use.
• Turn over wheelbarrows, or keep them where they will not collect water.
• Fix leaky taps, faucets and sprinklers.
• Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish (South Dakota native fathead or killifish minnows).
• Fill in tree rot holes and hollow stumps that hold water.
• Keep weeds and tall grass cut short; adult mosquitoes look for these shady places to rest during the hot daylight hours.
• Use a flyswatter or household spray to kill mosquitoes inside buildings.
• Limit time outdoors from dusk to midnight when Culex mosquitoes are most active.
• Use mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 when necessary, following label directions and precautions carefully.
• Some communities use chemicals to kill mosquito larvae and occasionally spray or fog to kill adult mosquito. If you have any questions, call your local mosquito control person.