So far this year two cases of human west nile virus have been confirmed. Below are some tips about how to prevent west nile.
Tips to prevent west nile:
- Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers that have collected on your property.
- Pay special attention to discarded tires. Stagnant water in tires are where most mosquitoes breed.
- Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors.
- Have clogged roof gutters cleaned regularly (spring & fall), particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug up the drains. (Roof gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes each season).
- Turn over plastic wading pools when not in use. Stagnant water in a wading pool becomes a place for mosquitoes to breed.
- Turn over wheelbarrows and don't let water stagnate in birdbaths. Both provide breeding habitats for domestic mosquitoes.
- Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish. Water gardens can become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in use. A swimming pool left untended by a family on vacation for a month can produce enough mosquitoes to result in neighborhood-wide complaints. Mosquitoes may even breed in the water that collects on pool covers.
- Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property. Mosquitoes may breed in any puddle that lasts for more than four days.
For more information, call the Nebraska Department for Health and Human Services at 402-471-2937.
