Deny Mosquitoes a Breeding Pool

By Lt. Shelley Griffith, MPH, RS
Robert E. Bush Naval Hospital

Summer is fast approaching and with it come the mosquitoes that accompany our outdoor activities.

There are ways you can prevent these bugs from flying away with your outdoor barbeque happiness. Simple things in the yard can have standing water. Mosquitoes need water to make more little mosquitoes.

Take a look around the outside of your home and notice what has water sitting in it. Think of ways to provide drainage to those items to get the water out. Properly dispose of old tires so they don’t become a hatchery for new mosquitoes. Potted plants need to have proper drainage to maintain a healthy plant and to prevent standing water. These are just a couple of simple tips that may help to make your summer more enjoyable.

Another way to plan outdoor activities is to understand that mosquitoes like to come out at dawn and dusk, just when it is warming up or cooling down here in the desert. Try to plan activities to end before the sun starts to go down. Protection from mosquitoes also can be accomplished by wearing long sleeves and jeans with covered shoes. This will prevent being bitten by a mosquito. Bug spray, zappers, and insecticide are also a choice, but it may be a smelly one.

If you would like to find more simple tips for enjoying summer activities just look at cdc.gov and epa.gov for more fun ways to stay healthy this summer.