Montgomery County recommends essential mosquito control tips to prevent mosquito-borne diseases

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Public Health (OPH) has announced prevention guidelines for the onset of mosquito season to help residents protect themselves from mosquito-borne diseases and prevent their spread.

Mosquito-borne diseases can spread to animals and people through the bite of an infected mosquito and can be life-threatening. OPH has begun routine mosquito surveillance and control throughout Montgomery County to monitor trends in mosquito patterns in the region. If disease-carrying mosquitoes are found in a specific area that could pose a threat to human health, pesticide spraying may be necessary in the targeted area.

Montgomery County’s Integrated Mosquito Management Plan:

Prevention

To reduce the likelihood of being bitten by a disease-carrying mosquito, OPH recommends that residents take the following steps to reduce their exposure to mosquitoes indoors and outdoors:

Check and repair windows and screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.

Survey your property and eliminate standing water, and dispose of containers that can collect standing water such as old tires, cans, bottles, buckets, and toys. Anything that can hold water for five days can breed thousands of mosquitoes. Eliminating standing water has proven effective in controlling mosquito populations and the spread of diseases they carry.

After it rains, empty plant containers, bird baths, flowerpots, kiddie pools, and pool covers to keep water from collecting in them.

Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and rooftops are free of standing water.

Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, outdoor saunas, and hot tubs. Keep them empty and covered if not in use; drain water that collects in pool covers.

Drill several holes in the bottom of recycling buckets so water can drain from them. Cover trash and recycling bins so rain cannot accumulate in them.

Personal Protection

Protect yourself and your family:

• Apply EPA approved insect repellent on all areas of exposed skin. To help you choose the insect repellent that is right for you use EPA’s Search Tool.
• Wear protective clothing such as long pants, long sleeve shirts, and socks.
• Spray permethrin, an insecticide product, on clothing, shoes and gear. Do not apply it directly on your skin.
  
  
• Video: CDC| What You Need to Know about Permethrin
• Keep mosquitoes outside of your home by using air conditioning or window and door screens.
• Use mosquito netting to protect young children and infants when outdoors.
• Before you travel, take steps to prepare so you can stay safe and healthy during your trip. See CDC Travelers' Health website for additional recommendations concerning protection from insects when traveling outside of the United States.
  
  

Mosquito Surveillance and Control

OPH conducts adult mosquito surveillance throughout the County. If mosquito surveillance and testing show that there is a threat to human health, OPH may initiate a spray to control adult mosquitoes. It is well documented that reducing populations of mosquitoes decreases the possibility of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Spraying is conducted by trained certified OPH personnel, who specialize in public health. On occasion, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will assist the OPH with mosquito sprays.

A variety of products are used to control mosquitoes at all life stages. All mosquito control applications are performed by trained certified applicators that specialize in public health protection.

Resident Notification of Mosquito Spray Events

OPH notifies residents of mosquito sprays in several ways:

• A press release is issued for all adult mosquito sprays in Montgomery County at least 48 hours in advance.
• Individuals listed on the PA Department of Agriculture Pesticide Hypersensitivity Registry and registered beekeepers within 500 feet of a spray are personally notified prior to the event.
• Residents who want to receive 48-hour advanced notifications of mosquito sprays directly to their phone or email should sign up for ReadyMontco alerts at http://readymontco.org. Be sure to also select the jurisdiction of residence or others of interest for targeted notifications. All local municipalities within the mosquito spray area are consulted and given detailed information about the spray.
  
  

More Information

For more information about Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services Office of Public Health mosquito prevention information, visit here. Information about mosquito-borne diseases can be found on the CDC website.