While the city of Athens embarks on its summer-long mosquito control campaign to quell the public safety threat posed by the perennial warm-weather pests, individual residents also can take steps to reduce their mosquito exposure at home.

As mosquito season ramps up, the Alabama Department of Public Health (SDPH) is urging all Alabama residents to take preventive measures to protect themselves and their communities from mosquito-borne diseases. More than simply a nuisance, mosquitoes can carry diseases that affect humans including the West Nile virus (WNV), Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), and La Crosse virus (La Crosse). 

Most often reported among mosquito-borne diseases in Alabama is the West Nile Virus, which cycles between mosquitoes and wild birds. The Culex pipiens mosquito species, common to Alabama, can live and breed near residential homes, and, along with other kinds of mosquitoes, can pick up the virus and then transmit it — to people, to horses, and to other mammals — during a bite. The other above-mentioned strains of disease also are spread through mosquito bites as they feed.

In Athens, the city has made available the schedule for this year’s round of public mosquito control measures, which include spraying targeted areas from 6 p.m. through 10 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday evenings. The schedule can be viewed online here.

To augment public control measures with your own preventive mosquito mitigation at home, ADPH advises adhering to the following simple guidelines:

Reducing Mosquito Habitats: Eliminate Standing Water

Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water. One small container can produce hundreds of mosquitoes in a week. To prevent breeding:

• Dump and drain standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pet dishes, birdbaths, tires, tarps, and children’s toys.
• Clean and scrub containers that hold water weekly to remove mosquito eggs.
• Cover rain barrels or water storage containers with tightly fitting lids or fine mesh.
• Fill in low spots in your yard where water can collect.

Bite Prevention: Protect Yourself and Your Family

No vaccine and no specific treatments are available for the mosquito- borne diseases mentioned in this article. Therefore, the best defense is to prevent mosquito bites in the first place. Reduce your risk of infection with these bite prevention tips:

• Use EPA-registered insect repellents with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
• Wear long sleeves and pants when outdoors, especially during dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
• Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Stay indoors during peak mosquito hours whenever possible.