West Nile Virus Information
To help minimize contact with mosquitoes as you enjoy your holiday and summer outdoor activities, the Department of Health and Environment also recommends the following:
- Wear an insect repellent containing DEET, following instructions carefully, whenever you are outside, even when just relaxing in the backyard. Be sure to apply repellent on children and elderly, following instructions on the label or container.
- Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
- Wear long pants and long sleeves to protect against mosquito bites
- Empty standing water in bird baths, pools, etc., at least weekly-twice a week when temperatures are over 90 degrees and mosquitoes can grow from eggs to biting adults in only 5 days. Receptacles such as buckets, clogged rain gutters, and barrels are very attractive spots for a mosquito to lay its eggs.
- Stay clear of places where mosquitoes are often found (tall grasses, wetlands, shrubs and grassy shores).
- Repair all house screens and screen doors now. A blood-seeking mosquito needs only a fraction of an inch gap to enter your home.
- Trim your bushes up to approximately 2 feet from the ground so you can "see the knees of the trees." This allows air flow and reduces dampness, thus making your bushes a poor hiding place for mosquitoes.
- Plant low-water-use lawns and gardens now while mosquito populations are low.
- If you find a dead crow, blue jay, magpie, or raven that does not seem to be injured, leave it where it is and call 1-877-462-2911
For the complete West Nile Virus press release from Larimer County, Click Here.