Health Department Advises Tip ‘n Toss to Prevent Mosquito Breeding

It is that time of year when we gear up for summertime outdoor activities, but we are not alone.

District Two Public Health is reminding all of us that all types of insects also begin to “come alive” during the warmer weather, primarily mosquitoes.

That’s why they are encouraging people to do some spring cleaning around their homes, yards, and communities by discarding any unnecessary item that can retain water and become breeding grounds for insects.

District 2 Public Health spokesperson Dave Palmer says the heavy rainfall we’ve had this winter and spring creates a perfect environment for mosquitoes.

“As you know when you have the type of rains that we’ve had, you have pools of standing water everywhere,” Palmer said. “That’s an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes to hatch out in about a week. So, we have to be more vigilant and make sure we reduce standing water around our properties to reduce those breeding grounds.”

There are many species of mosquitoes in Georgia and infected mosquitoes can spread several different illnesses including, West Nile Virus, St. Louis Encephalitis, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Chikungunya, Zika, and other illnesses.

And there is no vaccine for some of those diseases, so the best medicine is prevention.  Palmer says it’s important to remember to Tip ‘n Toss after every rainfall.

“Tip ‘n Toss is our campaign every year at this time,” he explained. “You want to tip any type of container that may hold water. Tip it and pour the water out, and if you don’t need it, toss it. There’s no reason to keep an item around that you don’t need or use so just toss it.”

Palmer said it’s also a good idea to store items away, such as outside toys and wading pools, when they are not in use to prevent them from becoming breeding sources for mosquitoes.

He also advises looking for small bodies of water on your property, such as drainage ponds, tree stumps, and tire ruts.

And if you have items that can’t be tipped such as birdbaths, you can use larvicides that will not hurt birds or animals.

Those can be purchased at most retailers and home improvement stores.

To learn more about protection and prevention or Tip ‘n Toss, log on to: cdc.gov or www.phdistrict2.org.