Hillsborough County residents are being encouraged to take simple steps around their homes to reduce mosquito breeding as locally acquired dengue infections continue to be reported in the Tampa Bay area.
According to the Florida Department of Health, Hillsborough County has reported 59 locally acquired dengue infections, making it the center of an unusual increase in locally transmitted dengue cases in Florida. Health officials are urging residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites and eliminate standing water where mosquitoes can breed.
Dengue is spread by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. These mosquitoes can breed in surprisingly small amounts of water, including water found in plant saucers, toys, buckets, clogged gutters and other containers around homes.
One simple way to remember mosquito prevention is the three D’s: dump, drain and cover.
Dump: Empty standing water from plant saucers, toys, buckets, pet dishes, birdbaths and other containers. Check yards regularly, especially after rainfall.
Drain: Clear clogged gutters and downspouts and address areas where water routinely collects. Check decorative fountains, drainage areas and low spots around the property.
Cover: Keep containers that hold water covered and make sure doors and windows have intact screens.
For water that cannot easily be eliminated, residents can consider Bti mosquito larvicides, such as Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Bits. Bti targets mosquito larvae before they become adult mosquitoes. Products should always be used according to the label.
Residents should also look beyond the obvious. Potential breeding sites can include children’s outdoor toys, self-watering planters, rain barrels, unused pools, tree holes, ditches and decorative water features.
Removing standing water should always be the first step. Larvicides are intended for water that cannot reasonably be removed, not as a replacement for eliminating breeding sites.
Mosquitoes may also breed in drainage areas or other locations outside an individual yard. Residents who see persistent standing water in a public area should report it to the appropriate local authority or mosquito-control agency.
Mosquito prevention works best as a community effort. A few minutes spent checking a yard can help reduce mosquito populations and the risk of mosquito-borne disease.
Dump it. Drain it. Cover it. And where appropriate, dunk it.
For more information, visit the Florida Department of Health’s Fight the Bite resources at www.floridahealth.gov/mosquito or Hillsborough County’s Mosquito Control webpage at https://hcfl.gov/residents/property-owners-and-renters/mosquito-control.
