Drain That Flowerpot!

—Taro Ietaka, Director of Conservation & Land Stewardship

Aedes aegypti mosquito. Photo: commons.widimedia.org by James Gathany, Phil. CDC

Mosquitoes have gotten a lot of news coverage this year with the emergence of the Zika virus as a threat to pregnant women and their children. Zika is the latest of several diseases that can be transmitted by mosquitoes, including West Nile virus, yellow fever, and malaria. When confronted with this threat, the temptation may be to wear head-to-toe netting wherever you go. Fortunately there are simpler steps that can be taken to minimize your chances of being bitten by a mosquito.

Our region is home to as many as forty different mosquito species with differing breeding and feeding habits. The mosquito species that are most likely to carry dangerous diseases are the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti), Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), and the northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens). One thing they all have in common is their habit of living near people; a study in Brazil found that yellow fever mosquitoes laid more eggs near human population centers. (Read more here.)

Humans have inadvertently created breeding areas that are irresistible for mother Aedes mosquitoes. The mixture of stagnant water and decaying vegetation that is found in old tires, flower pots, wheelbarrows, and other man-made objects emit a smell that signals MATERNITY WARD to mother yellow fever mosquitoes (For more information, click here). It could also be that urban and suburban breeding areas have fewer of the frogs, flycatchers, and bats that would normally prey on adult and larval mosquitoes.

To protect yourself and your family, follow these practices:

• Remove or regularly drain all containers that could hold standing water on your property including wagons, recycling containers, birdbaths, rain gutters, etc.

• Use mosquito dunks in Koi ponds and rain barrels to prevent larvae from transforming into adults

• Keep your windows screened or use air conditioning

• When outside, use insect repellent.

More information and recommendations are available at the Center for Disease Control and Westchester County Department of Health websites. Stay safe!