Mosquito Control Underway For the Season

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – As temperatures begin to rise, the volume in mosquitoes increase as well.

This is the time of year when the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department’s Mosquito Control Program will investigate mosquito complaints. They will treat places like standing water, which serve as breeding areas, to kill larval mosquitoes. It is important to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites because of the diseases they may carry such as the West Nile Virus and Zika Virus.

“While we do get a lot of rain early on in the year, that does create a lot of habitat for mosquitoes to breed. It is also an issue later in the year, and that is actually when we see the most occurrence of mosquito-born disease,” said Public Health Sanitarian, Matt Hemmer.

The Department encourages homeowners to remove standing water from their yard as a form of prevention. Other ways to protect yourself would be to avoid mosquitoes between dawn and dusk, apply insect repellent, and cover exposed skin.

“The worst time for mosquito exposure are dawn and dusk. So if you’re going to be out during those times, we recommend that you wear long sleeve clothing if you can. Or at least use a repellent such as Deet or there are some natural alternatives that are gaining some popularity as well,” Hemmer said.

To request treatment or report mosquito breeding areas you can call the Health Department at (740) 454-9741. Areas that have already been treated will be updated on their website, www.zmchd.org.