How to protect yourself and your family from exposure
Recent showers in Arizona created an environment in which insects thrive. Currently the biggest threat to residents of Arizona is mosquitos who may be carrying the Zika virus.
Desert dwellers tend to welcome the rain with open arms. We enjoy all the benefits the rain brings to our desert. While we enjoy the positives the rain brings we also need to be aware of the risks.
Mosquitos take a very short time to hatch and invade your living space. Reducing the ideal environments for mosquitos in and around your home is key to protecting your family.
Inspect Your Environment
The first step to protection is inspection. Spend time inspecting all the areas in and around your home. Standing, stagnant water is exactly where mosquitos go to lay eggs. Look for standing water in flower pots, wheelbarrows, children’s toys, valve and meter boxes.
Be diligent in your inspection. Literally anything that you have stored around your home, that can catch water, can become a mosquito nursery.
When you find an item with standing water empty it immediately and keep an eye out that it doesn’t fill with water during the next rain. If there is an item that cannot be emptied you can treat with a couple of tablespoons of bleach, use your discretion when using bleach, you don’t need much to kill larvae and eggs.
Inspecting your outdoor environment, reducing harborage areas, keeping an eye out for any standing water around your home will play a major role helping reduce the mosquito population in and around your home.
Mosquito Repellents
Always apply mosquito repellents when spending time outdoors, there are many choices of traditional and natural remedies that can keep mosquitos off. With the risk of Zika, taking a few minutes to apply repellent is well worth the time and effort.
