2005 Year in Review

Help “Fight The Bite”

Source: Greg Clark, Unit Educator, Crop Systems, 815/772-4075

Mosquitoes bite. The bite itches. The bite can also cause a disease called West Nile Virus (WNV). In 2004, the number of West Nile human cases in Illinois continued to be low compared to 2002 with 60 reported and four deaths. West Nile virus activity in 2004 was detected in 62 Illinois counties.

West Nile Virus also kills birds such as crows and blue jays. The disease can also infect horses and kill them.

The House Mosquito (Culex pipiens) is the guilty party. The female spreads the disease when she bites you looking for blood. Her salvia contains compounds that make your skin itch and turn red.

Mosquitoes go from egg to larvae to adult in less than a week. The eggs hatch and the larva grow in standing water. The female house mosquito won’t lay her eggs in places that are dry.

The house mosquito flies around mainly from just before the sun sets to just before it rises. Playing outside during the day should be relatively bite-free.

There are things you can do to “Fight the Bite” and help control mosquitoes and the West Nile Virus disease.

- Make sure water doesn’t stand for a long time in cans, buckets, wheelbarrows and other containers around your house. Check these areas every few days and after a rain. If they aren’t being used, throw them away or turn them upside-down so they don’t hold water. If you find something that will hold nasty, stinky, stagnant water, it probably will provide a place for mosquitoes to grow.

- Clean birdbaths once a week and add fresh water. Make sure water doesn’t sit under flower containers.

- If you have old tires, get rid of them or poke holes in the tires so water drains out. If you have a tire swing, make sure holes are poked in the bottom. More than 2000 mosquitoes a year can develop from a tire that holds water.

- Make sure the gutters on your house drain completely after a rain. You may need to have a parent help you check.

- Windows should have screens. All screens should be tight and holes repaired. Screen repair kits can be found at hardware stores.

- If you play outside in the late afternoon and evening, wear light colored clothes. Mosquitoes seem to be attracted to people in dark clothes.

- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants to prevent the mosquito from biting you. This may be hot, but it’s the best.

- There are some mosquito repellents you can put on your clothes and exposed arms, legs, hands and necks. Ask an adult to help choose the best repellent for you. Some are sprays; some are lotions. They do wear off, so you may have to apply them more than once.

- Make sure you use the sprays or lotions according to the direction on the label. This is a federal law. It’s for your own safety.

- Keep the grass mowed and the weeds cut down. Adult mosquitoes like tall grass and weeds.

- Check on elderly relatives like grandparents, neighbors and friends regularly. People older than 50 years are more likely to get sick from the West Nile Virus disease.

For more information on these and other issues, visit IPM.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
August 31, 2005