Bzzzzzzzzzz. SLAP! Itch. Scratch.
Familiar sounds during Ohio’s summer season when heat and water nurture people and mosquitoes. But no matter how bad it seems, or how uncomfortable it gets, it’s no where as annoying as it could be without bug spray. And, with the bugs, specifically mosquitoes, there’s the dreaded West Nile Virus.
“The West Nile Virus is here and the key to controlling the West Nile Virus is to control stagnant water,” said Ray Saporito, health commissioner at the Ashtabula County Health Department. “Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water.”
Ashtabula County is home to billions of mosquito larvae this time of year. To live, they must feed. To breed, the females need a blood meal to nourish their eggs.
A few species prefer other animals, but 70 to 80 percent of local mosquitoes crave human blood.
So how do humans keep from becoming a mosquito meal?
“Remove stagnant water,” Saporito said. “That means changing bird baths weekly, and if you have rain barrels, use the water or dump it. The same goes for kiddy pools and clogged gutters.”
Plan your Fourth of July picnic for around noon because mosquitoes are most active at dusk and dawn. And, stay out of the woods and tall grass.
He also recommends revelers wear light colors. Mosquitoes prefer dark colors, he said.
Although he doesn’t want to be labeled a “party pooper,” Saporito warns folks the West Nile virus can cause encephalitis, or a brain infection. Mosquitoes acquire the disease from birds and pass it on to other animals and people.
Anyone who comes down with a fever, headache, body aches, skin rash or swollen glands should see a doctor.
There’s no treatment for West Nile virus or a vaccine. While most people recover, in some cases hospitalization is needed.
Ashtabula County does not spray for mosquitoes, so be sure to use repellent, and of course, sun screen.
Forecasters say the sun will shine and temperatures will be in the lower- to mid-70s.
Local News
Don’t let pests ruin your picnic
- Local News
-
-
Sports, academics to come together
SPIRE Institute will expand its educational base and accept international students into its sports performance programs through a partnership with the Andrews Osborne Academy, Ted Meekma, SPIRE management team member, announced Wednesday.
-
Grand Valley sixth grader wins Ashtabula County Spelling Bee
James Elliott, a sixth grader at Grand Valley Middle School, clinched his win of the 29th annual Ashtabula County Area V Spelling Bee by successfully spelling the words “physique” and “daffodil.”
-
Conneaut Chamber lauds top citizen, ‘Champions’
Nicholas Iarocci, Conneaut’s 2011 Citizen of the Year, needed plenty of gulps of water to complete his acceptance speech Tuesday night.
-
Conneaut’s unpaved roads will get priority status in 2012
Secondary roads in Conneaut will get the lion’s share of attention from the Public Works’ Department this year, said City Manager Tim Eggleston.
-
Felony charge filed in robbery
An Ashtabula woman who police said grabbed a woman’s purse inside a Conneaut supermarket late Monday afternoon faces a felony charge in Conneaut Municipal Court, according to reports.
-
Ashtabula County building projects readied for bids
Up to four improvement projects for county-owned buildings are being lined up for bids in the next month.
-
City of Ashtabula looking for new auditor
Six candidates have applied for city auditor, which City Council President J.P. Ducro IV says he hopes to fill by the end of March.
-
Red Cross holding breakfast for ‘Community Heroes’
The Red Cross Community Heroes Breakfast will honor 12 county residents March 3 at the Bernard Vacca Community Center.
-
New film showcases county’s scenic rivers
Ohio’s Scenic Rivers program, which protects stretches of 14 waterways — including three in Ashtabula County — is the focus of a new movie by a Dayton-based independent filmmaker.
-
Students can donate clothing to Goodwill
Many Ashtabula Area City Schools students will find themselves cleaning out their closets this week.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Sports, academics to come together
