The Licking County Board of Health has made some changes to their mosquito spraying schedule. For upcoming weekly mosquito spraying schedules, check the Licking Co.  online events calendar and their social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.

 LICKING COUNTY, OHIO HEALTH DEPARTMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 06/08/2020

The Licking County Health Department (LCHD) announces the beginning of summer mosquito control in Licking County. LCHD practices an integrated pest management approach to mosquito control which includes trapping for adults, dipping for larvae, treating standing water with larvicide, draining breeding sites when possible, and spraying to kill adult mosquitoes when needed.

When needed, LCHD sprays to kill adult mosquitoes, weather permitting, during dusk hours from an LCHD marked vehicle.

 The most effective way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes. In Ohio, mosquito-borne illnesses are most often transmitted during the warmest months, May through October.

Diseases spread by mosquitoes are a concern in Ohio each year.  Mosquito-borne diseases that may occur locally in Ohio include: Eastern equine encephalitis virus, La Crosse virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus, and West Nile virus.

There are also several mosquito-borne diseases that Ohioans can acquire when traveling that could be brought back into Ohio: Chikungunya virus, Dengue, Japanese encephalitis virus, Malaria, Yellow fever, and Zika virus.

Being aware of mosquito and mosquito-borne disease activity in your area allows you to take action to protect yourself and others: avoid mosquitoes and mosquito bites, plan ahead for mosquitoes while traveling and stop mosquitoes from breeding in and around your home.
 
Avoid Mosquitoes and Mosquito Bites

Use insect repellents when you go outdoors:
  • Apply repellents on exposed skin that are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
  • Wear clothing treated with permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent for extra protection.
  • Use products according to label instructions to optimize safety and effectiveness.
  • Don't spray repellents on the skin under your clothing.
Take care during peak mosquito biting hours:
  • Take extra care to use repellents from dusk to dawn.
  • Wear light-colored clothing, long-sleeved shirts or jackets and long pants to protect against mosquito bites.
  • Consider avoiding outdoor activities during peak mosquito biting hours.
  • Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure.
LCHD collects numerous mosquito traps set throughout Licking County weekly to count and analyze mosquitoes. Then, we send a sample of mosquitoes to the Ohio Department of Health’s laboratory where they inform us if our sample contains non-native mosquitoes.
 
Stop Mosquitoes From Breeding In and Around Your Home

Don't let mosquitoes breed around your home:
  • Empty standing water from flowerpots, buckets, barrels, tarps/covers and wheel barrows on a regular basis.
  • Discard trash such as tin cans, plastic containers and other water-holding containers that have accumulated on your property.
  • Dispose of discarded tires properly.  Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out.
  • Change the water in pet dishes frequently.
  • Replace the water in bird baths weekly.
  • Check and clean clogged roof gutters at least twice annually so they will drain properly.
  • Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with mosquito-eating fish.
  • Clean and chlorinate swimming pools, even those that are not being used.
  • Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they aren't being used.
  • Consider using products containing Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), available at many garden and home improvement stores, to control mosquito larvae in containers that are too large to empty.  Follow label instructions.
Stop mosquitoes from coming indoors:
  • Install or repair screens on windows and doors.
  • Use air conditioning, if you have it.

Licking County Health Department Media Contact:
Olivia Biggs, Public Information Officer
obiggs@lickingcohealth.org | (740) 349-6488

 “The Licking County Health Department serves more than 170,000 citizens in the Licking County General Health District by preventing disease, protecting the environment and promoting healthy lifestyles with a vision of healthy people living in healthy communities.”

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Our mailing address is:
Licking County Health Department
675 Price Rd.
Newark, OH 43055
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