If you don’t want mosquitoes buzzing around your property, remove standing water, advised the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Mosquito Control Program.
Now is the time to act as mosquitoes are not yet adults, program officials said. Mosquitoes are more than annoying. They also carry diseases harmful to humans and animals, including the West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.
The tiny Asian Tiger Mosquito are black insects with a white stripe on their backs and white spots on their legs. They don’t fly far, usually less than 500 feet. They are “Maryland’s biggest nuisance,” according to officials.
These mosquitoes breed in anything that holds rainwater, including toys, tarps, abandoned swimming pools and plastic gutter extenders.
To remove breeding places in gutter extenders, cover the ends with a fine mesh material and a rubber band. Remove that twice a year to get the leaves and other debris out, officials recommended.
For items that hold water but can’t be dumped, put a biorational larvicide such as Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Torpedoes into the water, program officials recommended. The pesticides only kill mosquito larvae and can be purchased at most hardware stores.
