NEW ORLEANS – With the amount of rainfall over the past few days, it’s imperative for residents to remain vigilant and remove stagnant water by emptying containers of water. Water in non-removable containers such as bird baths, sugar kettles, pools, and ponds should be changed at least once a week. This mosquito life cycle (from eggs to larvae to pupae and adults) can be completed in just seven days. It is therefore important to locate and empty the containers on a weekly basis. Remove trash and clutter, including discarded tires, planters, buckets, trash, tarps, drinking bottles and cans, and anything else that can collect any amount of water. Make sure swimming pools and fountains are up and running.
We urge people to protect themselves from mosquito bites by limiting outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, using EPA and CDC approved repellants, and protecting homes against mosquitos by maintaining screens on windows and doors.
So far this year, no cases of human West Nile Virus (WNV) have been reported in the Orleans community. West Nile virus alternates between birds and mosquitoes and can be transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. While the majority of WNV infections are asymptomatic, the virus can cause serious symptoms, especially in people with compromised immune systems or those over the age of 65.
SAFETY TIPS
Protect oneself
- Reduce mosquito exposure by limiting outdoor activities between dusk and dawn.
- Use air conditioning and make sure the window and door panes are in good condition to keep mosquitoes out.
- Wear long sleeved shirts and pants outside.
- The CDC recommends using repellants that contain EPA-registered agents with proven effectiveness, including DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or lemon eucalyptus oil.
- Always follow the recommendations on the product label when using repellent.
Protect your home
- Eliminate standing water around your home. Mosquitoes breed in standing water.
- Remove trash and clutter and dispose of discarded tires and containers. Turn over paddling pools, buckets, trash cans, children’s toys, and anything that can collect water.
- Change the water weekly in containers that cannot be removed, such as: B. Pet dishes or bird baths. Every week, scrub the inside of containers (especially the walls) to remove any eggs that have been laid.
- Rain barrels and other water collection devices must be screened or treated, and the collected water should be used within a week.
- Ventilate ornamental pools, fountains, and sugar kettles, or fill them with fish.
- Report illegal dumps, water leaks, and unattended swimming pools by phone or online to 311.
Tires collect leaves and are easy to fill with rainwater, making it an ideal breeding ground for mosquito larvae. Getting rid of used tires eliminates a fertile habitat for mosquitoes.
- On the second day of collection, residents can stack up to four tires per week next to their household garbage truck. Call 311 to arrange a pickup.
- Tires in front of abandoned properties are not picked up; They must be brought in front of a residence with a curb cassette.
- Residents can also drop up to five tires to the City Recycling Drop-off Center at 2829 Elysian Fields Ave. every second Saturday of the month between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm. bring.
Report mosquito problems
Report mosquito problems to 311.
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