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TAKE ACTION NOW TO REDUCE
MOSQUITO-BREEDING AREAS IN SPRING:
Acting
DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty this week urged Pennsylvania
homeowners to make some sense preparations to reduce
mosquito-breeding areas on their properties once warm weather
arrives.
“Pennsylvania’s
battle against the West Nile Virus begins now, in backyards across
the Commonwealth,” said Acting Secretary McGinty. “In just a few
weeks, DEP and county personnel will be in the field, setting up
traps and beginning our mosquito surveillance and control program.
But, residents can fire the first shot in this battle now”.
As winter turns to
spring, homeowners should look around their properties and eliminate
areas that could lead to standing water where mosquitoes could begin
breeding in just a few weeks.
Here are some
places you should check:
Swimming pool covers - The cover gathers small puddles of water,
which are perfect for mosquito breeding. Either set your pool cover
so it will not retain water, or remove the water every few days.
You should do this for any other tarps or covers you have in your
yard.
Rain
gutters and spouting – When the leaves fell last autumn, many of
them landed in the gutters and spouting on your house. These leaves
will create shallow pools when it rains, so clean out gutters and
spouting before the spring rains come.
Flower Pots – Outdoor flowerpots or other containers used for
gardening or other yard work fills with water and give mosquitoes a
great place to breed. Either take these containers inside or make
sure you dump the water every few days.
Old
tires – These are notorious as mosquito breeding grounds. If
you are keeping any old tires around, put them in a garage or shed,
if possible. If not, dump the water that gathers in them twice a
week.
Rake
leaves from low-lying areas in your yard. Just like in gutters and
spouting, small piles of leaves in low spots will collect and hold
just the right amount of water for mosquitoes to hatch.
“While
these tips are for individual homeowners, local governments and
other public landowners should follow them, too,” Acting Secretary
McGinty said, “Public building have spouting needs to be cleaned,
public pools have covers that need to be drained, tire piles on
public land should be removed and leaves should be raked from parks
and other public lands”.
“This
year Pennsylvania will again have an aggressive and pro-active West
Nile mosquito surveillance and control program. While we had our
share of the virus last year, this active program contained the
outbreak more effectively in Pennsylvania than in most other
states,” Acting Secretary McGinty said.
For
more information, visit the PA PowerPort at
www.state.pa.us - PA Keyword “west nile”
March 7, 2003
The Department of
Environmental Protection
Click
Here - Information on Onlot Septic System
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