2003/03/26 Council Agenda Packet

Protection Means Knowing Bug!the Mosquitoes Need Water MOSQUITO CONTROL TIPS Protect YourSkin With about 45 species in Washington state, Now that you know the basics about mosqui- • Empty anything that holds standing water- you are bound to have many annoying en- toes,you can take action. Don't let your yard old tires, buckets, plastic covers, and toys. counters with mosquitoes,outdoors and become a mosquito breeding ground—get rid aroundour home. These mosquitoes all • Change water in your birdbaths,fountains, y q of all standing water. have one thing in common,their need for wading pools, and animal troughs weekly. Did You Know? Don't let yourself be water to breed and grow. • Recycle unused containers- bottles, cans, on their menu—avoid 13ttsy Mom_ . They find moist surfaces or still water to lay and buckets that may collect water. Culex mosquitoes mosquitoes when pos- lay their eggs in their eggs. This water is often stagnant and • Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and "rafts"that float on sible and protect your close to home in old clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall. the water's surface. skin. Each raft may con- Did You Know? tires,toys, ponds or • Fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers. tain hundreds of Repellents with DEET pools, uncovered C'i,ls Only..: eggs.Under favor very effective and able conditions, Only female mosqui- • Make sure windows and door screens are boats, birdbaths, toes bite.They feast these eggs can hatch widely used to reduce even open buckets on a blood meal to "bug tight." Repair or replace if needed. and grow into adults p in about a week. risk of mosquito bites. nourish their eggs. and dishes under The males feed on • Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosqui Before you use any flower pots. flower nectar and toes are the most active. repellent, read the label and carefully follow plant juices. Anything that holds the directions. Take special care when using standing water will do for a breeding site. • Wear a long sleeve repellents on children. Did You Know? Before laying eggs, mosquitoes seek out a shirt, long pants, and Alain llttraction... blood meal from a warm-blooded host—a Carbon dioxide that a hat when going into you exhale attracts Did You Know? bird, dog, horse, or you. While in search of a mosquito infested mosquitoes.They Its in the Spit... meal, mosquitoes are drawn to carbon diox- can find you from up areas, such as When feeding,mosquitoes inject saliva into your ide, heat, and moisture. They track you to 20 feet away. wetlands or woods. skin to help extract your blood.It's the saliva that causes the itching you suffer from a bite. down by your breath,skin temperature, and Mosquito bites can also spread serious diseases sweat. After dusk during peak feeding time, • Use mosquito repellent when necessary, and such as Western Equine Encephalitis, St. Louis Encephalitis,and West Nile virus. mosquitoes find you a very attractive target. carefully follow directions on the label.