Reducing Mosquito Annoyance Around the Ocean Beach Home
Mosquito reduction is a cooperative effort involving all Ocean Beach home-owners and tenants. It is easy to think that emptying that tin-can of water is insignificant. It may be, but every effort helps. The following list shows methods that may help reduce our mosquito problem:
 | Mosquito breeding around our homes can be reduced
significantly by reducing the amount of standing water. |
| Dispose of plastic containers, tin cans, bottles,
ceramic pots or similar water-holding containers on your property. That
includes containers that have become overgrown with time by vegetation. |
| Drill holes in bottoms of your garbage cans and
WRAP containers. Also drill some holes into the covers, because invariably
after garbage collection they remain overturned on the ground collecting rain
water. |
| Turn over wading pools, collect children's toys,
turn over the Red Wagons, avoid using saucers under your flower pots. |
| Aerate or treat ornamental pools or stock them with
fish. Inexpensive, small fish are available at most pet-shops. |
| Hardware stores have "Mosquito Dunks" or B.t.i. for
those houses that have permanent standing water under them or around them.
Place them out of reach of deer. They have been known to eat them. |
| Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that
collects on your property. Mosquitoes will develop within 4 days. |
| Cess pools are a large breeding ground for
mosquitoes. Cover them with heavy plastic sheets, then with sand or soil.
Check periodically for holes dug by rodents in the surrounding soil. These
tunnels are used by mosquitoes to gain access to either breed or hibernate
during daylight hours. |
| Once a month flush a Bti donut down your toilet if
you suspect your cess-pool not to be tight (please observe EPA approved
instructions on the package). |
| Screen all water inlets entering tanks to exclude adult mosquitoes. |
Please distribute these suggestions to anyone who might occupy your property. As with all regulated substances be sure to read, understand and follow the labeling on products you use. It is illegal to use products not consistent with their intended use.
Revised: January 14, 2004
