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Stopping Zika starts in the back yard: Here’s what you can do

Mosquitoes: From your yard to your skin - or someone else's.
Mosquitoes: From your yard to your skin – or someone else’s.

For fast-growing Florida – and considering all the big things happening in Tampa – the Zika virus is more than just bad buzz: its terrible effects are impacting growing numbers of people and spreading fear around the world. Governor Scott has declared the state “ground zero” for the virus, and that bad buzz comes literally from mosquitoes, carriers of Zika.

Yet local residents have the power to help stop it by looking around their yards and taking easy action to keep mosquitoes from breeding.

Stop mosquitoes from living and multiplying around your home

Did you know that standing water around your home can support the breeding of mosquitoes? Mosquitoes breed by laying eggs in and near standing water. As little as one teaspoon or bottle cap of water standing for more than one week is enough for mosquitoes to breed and multiply. Additionally, many bothersome mosquitoes typically only travel a few hundred feet from their breeding site.

You can help stop mosquitoes from breeding by using these tips:

  • At least once a week, empty, turn over or cover anything that could hold water: tires, buckets, toys, pools and pool covers, birdbaths, trash containers, recycling bins, boat or car covers, roof gutters, coolers, and pet dishes.
  • Discard old tires, drums, bottles, cans, pots and pans, broken appliances, and other items that may collect water.
  • Put away items that are outside and not being used because they could hold standing water.
  • Keep flower pots and saucers free of standing water. Some plants, such as bromeliads, hold water in their leaves – flush out water-holding plants with your hose once a week.
  • Maintain swimming pools in good condition and chlorination.

For more tips on preventing or reducing mosquitoes, visit HCFLGov.net/MosquitoNinja. You can also report a mosquito-related issues to Hillsborough County Mosquito Control by calling (813) 635-5400.

Special thanks to Hillsborough County for the information it provided above to communicate this important information. 

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