As outdoor activity increases and temperatures rise, local residents are being encouraged to prevent mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. The focus is especially on that topic now, during California Mosquito Awareness Week, being observed April 18 through 24.
The San Joaquin County Mosquito and Vector Control District (District) also requests residents to remove standing water on their properties.
“As daily temperatures increase, the District’s staff is working to keep mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease under control,” said Aaron Devencenzi, Public Information Officer of the District. “Mosquito prevention is everyone’s responsibility, so dump and drain standing water and tip and toss containers.”
District officials encourage people to use mosquitofish for neglected swimming pools, animal water troughs, water features, and ornamental ponds. Mosquitofish can be obtained by calling the District’s main office for delivery, with no charge, throughout San Joaquin County. To request District service, call 209-982-4675, 1-800-300-4675, or visit www.sjmosquito.org.
Also, follow these tips to prevent mosquito-borne disease:
• Apply insect repellent containing EPA-registered active ingredients, including DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535, according to label instructions, when outdoors. Repellents keep mosquitoes from biting.
• Avoid spending time outside when mosquitoes are most active, at dawn and dusk, especially for the first two hours after sunset.
• When outdoors, wear long pants, loose-fitting long-sleeved shirts, and other protective clothing.
• Exclude mosquitoes from your home with tight-fitting screens on doors and windows.
• Contact your veterinarian for information on vaccinating equine against West Nile Virus.
• Report daytime biting mosquitoes or significant mosquito infestations to San Joaquin County Mosquito & Vector Control District at www.sjmosquito.org, (209) 982-4675, 1-800-300-4675.
Invasive Aedes mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti) were initially found during the summer of 2019 in the Brookside area of west Stockton. They were again discovered in 2020 in the same location. These daytime biting mosquitoes are being closely monitored. They can spread quickly from the original site where they were first found and are currently considered a nuisance mosquito. This species is known to be a viable carrier of several mosquito-borne diseases. These diseases include Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever.
To learn more about mosquito and vector control activities in San Joaquin County, go to the District’s website at www.sjmosquito.org. Follow them on Facebook @SJmosquitoandvector for more tips and information.
