|
The McHenry County
Defenders has a long history of working with municipalities to prevent the
spraying of chemicals in an attempt to control insects. Adulticiding for
mosquito control should be used only as a last resort when a disease
potential is present and determined to be a severe health hazard by the
McHenry County Department of Health. For thirty years, the Defenders has
had a pretty good track record of working with municipalities on this
subject. With the onslaught of West Nile Virus, however, a lot of our past
successful work is being reversed. There are communities that had held off
on spraying for the last 20-30 years that are now spraying, all due to the
threat of the West Nile Virus, not to mention the lack of public
education.
Municipalities spray for
mosquitoes in response to public outcry. Therefore, public education must
be a primary focus for the Defenders. If you are interested in becoming
involved with these projects, please contact the office. We are looking for active volunteers that will help spread
the word in their community or work with specific municipalities to
encourage their adoption of a model mosquito abatement program.
What You Can Do at Home
The best defense against mosquitoes around the house is to
eliminate their breeding sites. Any water standing for 5 to 7 days is a
potential mosquito nursery. Follow these tips from the county health
department:
 | Turn over children's wading pools and toys when not
in use. |
| Drill holes in the bottom of recycling and trash
containers that are left outdoors. |
| Properly discard old tires and other items that could
collect water. |
| Change water in bird baths twice a week. |
| Empty water from flower pots, pet food and water
dishes, buckets, barrels and cans. |
| Fix leaky faucets - they provide water where
mosquitoes can breed. |
| Window boxes and flower planters should have drainage
holes to prevent water from pooling. |
| Do not rake leaves and other yard debris into the
gutter or storm drain. |
| Cover window wells and keep them free of debris.
|
| Keep roof gutters free of leaves and debris.
|
| Aerate ornamental ponds or stock with mosquito eating
fish. |
| Keep pools clean and chlorinated. Empty any collected
water from pool covers. |
| Eliminate any other standing water on your property.
Be
sure to check for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see,
such as under bushes or under your home. |
|
Environmental
Defenders of McHenry County 
