Photograph by Sidney Zaratustra
- Watch this 4 minute video by Maryland's mosquito expert.
- The Asian Tiger Mosquito in Maryland (Maryland Department of Agriculture)
- Zika Prevention
- White House Says It Will Cut Ebola Funding To Address Zika (NPR.org)
- Why Can’t We Get Rid of Mosquitoes Entirely? (The New York Times)
- Mosquito Repellents That Best Protect Against Zika (Consumer Reports)The most effective products against Aedes mosquitoes were Sawyer Picaridin and Natrapel 8 Hour, which each contain 20 percent picaridin, and Off! Deepwoods VIII, which contains 25 percent deet. They kept mosquitoes from biting for about 8 hours. (The Sawyer product was more effective at repelling ticks than the deet products we tested, making it our top insect repellent overall.)[Read the full report here and download the insect repellant ratings here]
Once a week
- Empty water from containers, such as flowerpot saucers, watering cans, and buckets
- Change the water in bird baths
- Empty water that collects in the folds of tarps used to cover woodpiles, boats, pools, etc.
- Position corrugated drainpipes to ensure drainage
- Apply a larvicide (an insecticide applied to water to kill mosquito larvae), such as Mosquito Dunks®, to standing water that cannot be emptied or drained.
- Clean leaves and debris from roof gutters.
- Recycle old tires
- Be sure water on property flows freely from drainage areas
- Fill-in puddles or areas of your yard that remain wet and soggy for more than a week
- Aerate ornamental ponds or stock the pond with fish
- Apply a barrier spray to vegetation around your home. Products containing the active ingredient permethrin will provide two to three weeks of relief from biting adult mosquitoes. Always follow label instructions.