Town of Stratford Health Department
Andrea Boissevain, Health Director
Kelly Kerrigan, Environmental Conservation Superintendent
The Town of Stratford’s Public Works and Health Departments are teaming up to take measures to prevent illnesses such as West Nile virus (WNV) carried by mosquitoes by treating the town’s 5,283 catch basins with a non-toxic larvicide within the next week or so.
“With mosquito season here we are treating all of our catch basins,” said Kelly Kerrigan, the town’s Environmental Conservation Superintendent. She advises that you can do your part by reducing standing water on your property to limit areas where mosquitoes can breed. Residents can also purchase larvicide briquettes or “dunks” at local hardware stores or places like Home Depot to treat areas on their property where water may pool.
Stratford’s Health Director Andrea Boissevain said “We advocate three basic things you can do to protect yourself and your family against mosquitos: Cover up. Repel. And Cleanup.” Wear protective clothing and minimize your time outside when mosquitoes are biting at dusk and dawn. Use insect repellent, and remove standing water so they don’t breed in the first place.
Here are some additional tips that support the Health Department’s advice on how to avoid mosquito bites and decrease mosquito activity around your home:
Wear protective clothing. Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt when outdoors for long periods of time, or when mosquitoes are most active. Clothing should be light colored and made of tightly woven materials that keep mosquitoes away from the skin.
Minimizing time spent outdoors around dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
Be sure door and windows screens are tight fighting and in good repair.
Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in an unscreened structure and to protect small babies when outdoors.
Use insect repellent. Considering using mosquito repellent, as directed, when outdoors. Repellents made with 20-30% of the active ingredient DEET are very effective when used properly; however, DO NOT USE ON CHILDREN UNDER 2 years of age.
Remove Standing Water:
- Rid your property of extra standing water. Artificial containers such as barrels and birdbaths are frequently used by mosquitoes for laying eggs.
- Cleaning and chlorinating swimming pools that are not being used, including pool covers.
- Cleaning clogged gutters.
- Drilling holes in bottom of recycling containers.
- Fixing holes in your screens.
- For commercial properties with flat roofs, check for standing water to reduce mosquito-breeding sites.
The State started their mosquitoes collecting and testing program June 1st. They test for the presence of WNV and Eastern Equine Encephalitis, through October. Stratford hosts two such state agricultural mosquito trapping sites at Beacon Point and Beaver Dam Road. As of the week of June 19th, none of the mosquitoes tested carried West Nile or Eastern Equine Encephalitis viruses. The Health Department will continue to monitor the weekly data.
For more information on mosquito control, visit the Stratford Health Department’s website at www.stratfordct.gov/health and follow us on Twitter @HealthStratford and Instagram for tips and info.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station also has information for the public on mosquito surveillance control and mosquito-borne diseases. For the most up-to-date mosquito information across Connecticut, can be accessed on their website http://www.ct.gov/mosquito
