It’s finally here, the season you’ve been waiting for—the perfect time to open all the doors and windows and let the summer breeze through your home.
But with summer heat come mosquitoes, which thrive under the humid, muggy conditions. They typically make their home in dark, damp spaces and lay eggs near standing water. With the Zika virus still a concern and mosquitoes known at worst to carry dangerous diseases and at best to cause irritating bites, keep these pesky insects out of your home with seven preventive steps from the state Department of Health.
- Shut those doors and windows to keep mosquitoes outside. Instead of the natural breeze, use air conditioning to stay cool
- Add window and door screens to your home for thorough mosquito control
- Repair cracks or gaps in your septic tank
- Cover open pipes and vents with thin wire mesh
- Regularly clean out objects in or around your home that may hold standing water (tires, buckets, planters, and vases, for example)
- Regularly use outdoor inspect spray in damp, dark spaces, such as under patio furniture and in your garage
- Purchase inspect sprays that are safe for indoors, and regularly spray mosquito-populated areas in your home, such as closets, laundry rooms, and under furniture