San Antonio residents are experiencing an increase in mosquitoes due to the recent rain and humidity. According to Joel Lara, senior environmental health officer for San Antonio Metro Health’s Vector Control Services, the city has seen an uptick in service requests related to mosquitoes.
Mosquito Control Measures
Lara stated that Vector Control Services has been surveilling mosquitoes since April and has been testing for West Nile virus. The department also responds to public service requests and sprays or fogs areas where trapped mosquitoes have tested positive for illnesses.
For private property owners, Lara recommended removing standing water from containers, flowerpots, bird baths, and pet bowls at least once a week. He also suggested keeping vegetation low and trimming back trees to open the canopy and allow air to flow through the yard, as mosquitoes like to rest in overgrown vegetation.
Metro Health offered additional tips to deal with mosquitoes, including using mosquito dunks in standing water to kill larvae.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.