Marion Public Health is pleased to announce the award of Mosquito Control Grant funds from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) for the third year in a row. The program, a collaborative effort between the Ohio EPA and the Ohio Department of Health, allows Marion Public Health to implement mosquito control measures to reduce the potential for an outbreak of mosquito-borne diseases such as Zika, West Nile, and La Cross Encephalitis.
The grant funds, a total of $21,630, will be used toward efforts to continue mosquito surveillance throughout Marion County, public education and outreach, as well as purchasing adulticide for mosquito spraying within the Marion area. Marion Public Health will be trapping and monitoring mosquitoes throughout the season, which typically runs through the first frost in the fall.
Mosquito control and prevention isn’t just limited to these efforts – local residents can help do their part to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes, too! Mosquitoes breed in/near standing water, and items such as buckets, old tires, unused flower pots and bird baths, children’s wading pools, and more are perfect breeding grounds. By eliminating these sources of water you’re utilizing the easiest and most cost-effective approach to mosquito prevention.
Because mosquitoes are carriers of diseases such as Zika and West Nile, it’s just as important that you take the necessary precautions to help avoid mosquito bites. If you are going to be outdoors between dusk and dawn, when mosquito are most active, be sure to wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt, shoes, and socks, and wear light-colored clothing, which is less attractive to mosquitoes. Be sure that the mosquito repellent you use is EPA-registered, and that you follow the label directions. And, finally, install or repair any screens on your windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
