Tag Archives: mosquito

Avoiding Mosquitoes After Rain, Flooding

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Rain and flooding of the sort South Carolina has endured recently can saturate areas and leave standing water, which has the potential to become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes can carry viruses such as West Nile. That is why it is important that we all do our part to reduce mosquito populations and protect our families from exposure to these pesky, and potentially harmful, insects.

Reduce mosquito breeding habitats.

It only takes as few as five days for water in containers as small as a bottle cap to become active breeding sites for mosquitoes.

  • Routinely empty any containers on your property that are holding water:
    • Pool covers
    • Flower pots
    • Tires
    • Pet bowls
    • Toys
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  • Remove debris from gutters.
  • Trim back thick shrubbery and overgrown grass on your property.
  • Fix leaky outdoor faucets.

Protect you and your family from mosquitoes and possible exposure to mosquito-borne illnesses.

  • Repair damaged or broken doors and screens.
  • Wear light-colored clothes with long sleeves and long pants.
  • Close garage doors at night.SprayHands-Zika2

If you must be outside when mosquitoes are active, applying a mosquito repellent can help protect you from bites.

Visit the DHEC website for more information about protecting yourself against mosquitoes. You can also visit the site to find contact information for the local mosquito control program in your area.

World Mosquito Day: Protect Yourself And Your Family

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World Mosquito Day (August 20) isn’t a day off for the pesky insects that can transmit diseases. Neither should you take the day off from avoiding bites and ridding your homes and WorldMosquitoDayImageyards of areas where mosquitoes breed.

Mosquitoes can spread diseases such as West Nile. The most common diseases that could potentially be carried by mosquitoes in South Carolina, home to at least 61 different species, include: West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, La Crosse encephalitis, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and dog/cat heartworm.

Although August 20 is the mosquito’s day, so to speak, DHEC urges residents to not feed or house the insects. Take precautions to avoid mosquito bites and rid your home and yard of areas where they breed.

Reduce the numbers of adult mosquitoes around your home.

  • Drain, fill or eliminate sites that have standing water.
  • Empty or throw away containers — from bottles and jars to tires and kiddie pools — that have standing water.

Keep mosquitoes outside: Use air conditioning or make sure that you repair and use window/door screens.

Avoid Mosquitoes: Most mosquito species bite during dawn, dusk, twilight hours and night. Some species bite during the day, especially in wooded or other shaded areas. Avoid exposure during these times and in these areas.

Wear insect repellent: When used as directed, the proper insect repellent is the BEST way to protect yourself from mosquito bites — even children and pregnant women should protect themselves.

Cover up: When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.

So, apply the repellent, empty or get rid of containers in your yard holding water and have a Happy World Mosquito Day.

Click here to learn more about protecting yourself and your home from mosquitoes.

Visit the DHEC website to learn more about mosquitoes and the diseases they can spread.

DHEC in the News: Oyster beds, mosquitoes, food recovery app

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Here’s a look at health and environmental news from around South Carolina.

Oyster beds near Stono River will reopen on Tuesday after sewer spill

Oyster beds in the vicinity of the Stono River will reopen to harvesting Tuesday, state regulators said Monday.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control are reopening beds from Charleston Harbor south to the North Edisto River as of sunrise, after testing showed the waters were safe again. The beds were closed in late February after a town of Hollywood sewerline spilled at least 2.4 million gallons from Feb. 19 to Feb. 26, according to DHEC.

Horry County joins DHEC mosquito trapping program

Horry County Stormwater officials have a plan to improve how they locate areas with substantial mosquito populations, in order to conduct spraying.

The Stormwater Department has joined DHEC’s mosquito trapping program. …

“We’re already starting to see them. We are starting to get service requests in,” said James Brock, Horry County Mosquito Control Supervisor.

Columbia Restaurants Can Donate Food Instead of Throwing It Away with App

Columbia, SC (WLTX) – The City of Columbia is working to combat hunger in the area and thanks to an app, everyone can get involved.

According to the State Department of Health and Environmental Control, 1 in 8 adults go hungry and for children those odds are 1 in 6. The Columbia Food Policy Committee is working to change those numbers with the help of restaurants and volunteers.

DHEC urges South Carolinians to protect against mosquito bites in light of West Nile Virus identification

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Identification of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes in South Carolina is a reminder of the importance of protecting against mosquito bites, and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is urging residents to take precautions.

“The most important step anyone can take to prevent West Nile virus infection and other mosquito-borne illnesses is to protect against being bitten by a mosquito,” said Linda Bell, M.D., state epidemiologist.

So far this year in South Carolina, West Nile Virus has been detected in mosquitoes at the Joint Base Charleston and the Shaw Air Force Base. It has also been detected in mosquitoes in Oconee, Sumter and York Counties. In addition to mosquitoes, DHEC has confirmed the first human cases of West Nile Virus in South Carolina this year.

“Most people infected with West Nile Virus have no symptoms of illness,” said Dr. Bell. “About one in five people infected becomes ill within two to 14 days with symptoms including fever, headache, joint pain, muscle pain, and occasionally nausea and vomiting. Often they experience sensitivity to light and inflammation of the eyelids. Some may have a rash. The risk of serious illness is low. Less than one percent of people infected develop a potentially fatal swelling of the brain, known as encephalitis.”

Dr. Bell said that West Nile Virus is a disease of birds transmitted to humans and animals through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes become infected after feeding on infected birds.

DHEC recommends residents pay attention to the most effective ways to prevent mosquito-borne illnesses:

  • Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon, eucalyptus, or IR 3535 according to label instructions. Repellents help keep mosquitoes from biting.
  • Wear clothing that reduces the risk of skin exposure.
  • Exposure to mosquitoes is most common during the early morning. Some species bite during the day, especially in wooded or other shaded areas. Avoid exposure during these times and in these areas. Make sure that your doors and windows have tight-fitting screens to keep out mosquitoes.
  • Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property, including flowerpots, old car tires, rain gutters and pet bowls.

  • For more information on how to prevent mosquito bites, click here.

For more information about WNV, visit www.scdhec.gov/westnile or the CDC’s page, www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm.

National Mosquito Control Awareness Week

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There’s no overstating the role local governments play — or should play — in protecting citizens from mosquito-borne illnesses: They provide the first line of defense.

All communities need mosquito control programs

It’s National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, and it’s a good time to remind local officials of the need to be vigilant in protecting citizens amid continuing concern over the potential spread of Zika virus as well as other mosquito-borne illnesses.

It’s important for local officials to have mosquito control plans in place. No, every jurisdiction won’t be able to afford to provide the highest level of service, but they all can and should have some level of program. In areas where funding is a challenge, the key is to focus on public education and eliminating water-filled containers where mosquitoes breed.

While larger, more costly programs tend to have the elements in place to effectively combat mosquitoes, smaller programs also can do a credible job of protecting their citizens.

That was on display at the April 19 South Carolina Zika Forum where DHEC and its partners convened state and local officials to discuss Zika virus and resources available to local governments in recognition of their role as the front-line defense against the spread of any mosquito-borne viruses. Two very different yet effective mosquito control programs made presentations — a large one operated by Beaufort County and a smaller one operated by the city of Hartsville.

Different communities, same mosquito-prevention mission

In some ways, Beaufort County and Hartsville couldn’t be more different. Beaufort is an affluent, sizeable coastal county that covers nearly 600 square miles and is home to 180,000 residents. Hartsville is a small town in the Pee Dee with a population of roughly 7,900.

While they are of a different size, scope and region, the two communities have something in common when it comes to mosquito control. Both are being proactive in developing and implementing mosquito control programs that focus on citizen education, community outreach, mosquito surveillance, habitat elimination and integrating use of Environmental Protection Agency-regulated insecticides where appropriate. Both have developed Zika response plans.

Beaufort County’s program has a staff commensurate to meeting the needs of a large county that includes four municipalities as well. Beaufort is more aggressive about spraying to control mosquitoes. Its certified personnel employ state-of-the-art ground and aerial application equipment. The aircraft includes a plan — an OV-10 D Bronco — and a helicopter – an MD-500 D. In addition, it has seven spray trucks. The county also has a Mosquito Control Mobile Reporting App that allows citizens and visitors to report mosquito problems as well as dead birds for testing of possible West Nile Virus infections.

See Beaufort County’s mosquito control presentation from the SC Zika Forum.

Hartsville’s program, which is significantly smaller, focuses on controlling with mosquitoes within the city. The program is just a few years old and all the duties of mosquito control are handled by a two-man crew.

Hartsville puts heavy emphasis on education, outreach and source reduction. It also emphasizes that for mosquito control to be effective, the program must communicate with all city departments, including codes enforcement, utilities and environmental services.

While Hartsville doesn’t have a large, well-funded program, its staff is resourceful. For example, they instituted a bike program to conduct larviciding — the process of using biological agents to kill larvae — around storm drains and open ditches. Mounting bikes not only gets the job done, but it draws attention from the public and emphasizes the need for mosquito control.

See Hartsville’s mosquito control presentation from the SC Zika Forum.

Take time to learn more