This has been updated due to OC Vector sending an incorrect headline. No West Nile Virus has been confirmed this year.

By now, almost everyone in Orange County is all too familiar with Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, a.k.a. “the ankle biters.” In addition to their annoying bites, these small, aggressive, black and white mosquitoes can also spread diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and chikungunya. To make matters worse, Aedes prefer backyard sources and can breed in containers as small as bottle caps.

With rising temperatures indicating that mosquito season is near, Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD) encourages residents throughout the county to work together to keep their families, friends, and neighbors safe during California Mosquito Awareness Week from April 13th to 19th.

“The one thing that unites everyone these days is their fear and loathing of mosquitoes,” OCMVCD Public Information Officer Brian Brannon said. “Preventing them takes a community effort because mosquitoes can easily fly over fences and across property lines. That’s why our primary message this year is Together We Fight!”

During California Mosquito Awareness Week, OCMVCD will also premiere its “A Closer Look” video series on social media to provide an in-depth view of the District’s underground mosquito control efforts, its trapping and testing program that monitors mosquito abundance and the potential presence of disease, and a Spanish-language video discussing how the District provides a free service to prevent breeding in residential areas. Visit OCVector on Instagram, Facebook to view these videos.

Follow these steps to help prevent mosquitoes: 

• Eliminate all sources of standing water, including water in flowerpots, old tires, buckets, pet dishes, and trash cans. 
• Install screens on doors and windows and keep them in good repair.
• Repair leaky faucets and broken sprinklers that can create standing water.
• Clean rain gutters.
• Report neglected swimming pools. 
• Follow label instructions to apply insect repellent containing an EPA-registered active ingredient such as DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535. 
• Wear long sleeves and pants, especially while outside during dawn and dusk when the mosquitoes that can spread the West Nile virus are most active.

Sign up to receive mosquito alerts and get more information by visiting www.ocvector.org.

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TO REPORT AN ISSUE REGARDING MOSQUITOES, RED IMPORTED FIRE ANTS, RATS ORFLIES, PLEASE CLICK HERE.