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Tips For Controlling Mosquitoes In Your Backyard

Where are mosquitoes breeding in your yard?

by Patrick Linn, MS, MSHAPI Do you have an area in your yard that fills with “undumpable”
Executive Director, Collier Mosquito Control District standing water? Contact us about getting some free mosquitofish
to place there. Each little fish can eat about 100 mosquito larvae
ust as sure as the summer rains will return, so too, will the daily. They won’t completely eradicate the problem, but they sure
buzzing mosquitoes. For residents who live within the do help.
J401-square-mile boundaries of the Collier Mosquito Control And if the mosquitoes do become a bother,
District, mosquito control services help to keep those mosquito remember to follow the 5 Ds:
populations low and the threat of mosquito-borne disease • DRAIN– empty standing water from any container on your
minimized. property
But did you know that residents can significantly reduce • DEFEND– when used as directed, the Environmental
mosquito populations, in some cases more effectively than the Protection Agency recommends repellents containing any of these
District can? As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand active ingredients for humans over 6 months of age:
words,” which is why I’m letting the illustration here demonstrate Deet
what actions you can take when those summer rains return. Picaridin
Survey your property for any of the places where water can Oil of lemon eucalyptus
accumulate and stagnate. Those areas provide the perfect spot IR3535
for female mosquitoes to deposit their eggs. Within seven days, • DUSK & DAWN– avoid outdoor activities during these
those eggs become flying troublesome mosquitoes. That’s why we times when mosquitoes are most actively flying and feeding
recommend that containers be covered and those with standing • DRESS– cover exposed skin (when reasonable) to block
water be emptied every five to seven days. mosquitoes’ access to your skin.

Want to know more about the science behind mosquito control? Looking for someone to speak to your group’s next meeting?
Visit the District’s website at cmcd.org or call 239.436.1000.

34 Life in Naples | May, June, July 2022