People urged to take action during mosquito awareness week

Terry Turner, supervisor of the Hill County Mosquito Control District, said that this week, National Mosquito Awareness Week, is the perfect time for people to double-check that they are doing their part in controlling mosquitos.

He said the control by local residents and the mosquito control district has been effective - rather than finding 3,800 to 4,000 mosquitos in the traps he puts out he is finding 100 to 200 a night.

"That's a big reduction," he said.

Outside of the district traps still are catching about 4,000, and "They are hungry and ferocious," he said.

Turner said if people don't work to control the insects in the district, the numbers will be right back.

The local mosquito control districts do their part to control the insects, trapping them to see how many are prevalent and testing them for disease as well as using larvicide that prevents larvae from maturing into mosquitos and, when the weather cooperates, using fog to kill the adults.

Turner said the voters approving a tax increase last year to provide more revenue to the Hill County district also has helped. The district can get all three trucks out fogging, rather than one or two as it used to.

"It makes a big difference," he said, adding that he wanted to thank the voters for their support of the district.

The larvicide put in standing water is harmless except to mosquitoes - it's safe for pets and the whole works, Turner has said - and the fog is generally safe as well. It is derived from chrysanthemums, so outside of people allergic to the flower, is generally harmless.

People who do have allergies can contact the mosquito district, which will update them when spraying will be done in their neighborhood.

But the district asks everyone to do their part.

It offers pellets containing the larvicide free to residents in the district, which extends about 5 miles north and south of Havre. The shakers full of pellets are available at Havre Hardware and Home and Ezzies Wholesale.

Controlling mosquitos means more than just avoiding irritating bites. Along with the irritation of being bitten - only the females suck blood, as the males live off of plant juices, the Hill County Mosquito District web page says - the insect has the potential to transmit diseases, including possibly deadly illnesses, to people and animals including horses, dogs and birds.

Those mosquito-borne illnesses include the West Nile Virus as well as malaria, yellow fever, dengue, different forms of encephalitis and dog heartworm. A type of mosquito in this region also is capable of transmitting the Zika virus if the virus arrives in this area.

The American Mosquito Control Association promotes "the three D's" of protection from mosquitoes - drain, dress and defend - not just in this annual awareness week but during the entire year.

One key is draining water, which reduces areas where the insects can breed. Hundreds or thousands of the insects can come out of a seemingly tiny bit of moisture.  

One cup of water can breed 250 mosquitoes, while a 5-gallon can half-full of water can breed 10,000 of the insects.

A particular problem is water in old tires. The combination of standing water and the heat generated in the tires speeds up the life cycle, with thousands of mosquitoes potentially hatching out in just a few days.

People can avoid mosquito bites with the last two D's - dressing and defending.

The American Mosquito Control Association recommends that people wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothes to help prevent mosquito bites. Some species of mosquitoes in the United States are attracted to darker-colored clothing and most can bite through tight-fitting loose-weaved clothing.

Environmental Protection Agency-approved mosquito repellent also can prevent bites. Properly applying an EPA registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin, IR 3535 or oil of lemon-eucalyptus can reduce the chance of being bitten.

Turner said a new picaridin product, Moskito Care, seems to work effectively and goes on simply, much like a lotion rather than an oily product.

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Online: Hill County Mosquito Control District: http://hillcounty.us/departments/mosquito-district/.

American Mosquito Control Association: https://www.mosquito.org/.

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American Mosquito Control Association tips on removing mosquito breeding grounds:

• Dispose of tires;

• Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers;

• Clear roof gutters of debris;

• Clean pet water dishes regularly;

• Check and empty children's toys;

• Repair leaky outdoor faucets;

• Change water in bird baths at least once a week;

• Turn over canoes and other boats;

• Prevent water from collecting on swimming pool covers and tarps around the yard;

• Plug tree holes, fill in ruts and holes, and

• Keep water out of bottles, buckets, barrels, overturned garbage can lids and so on.