How can I protect myself and my family?
What can I do to protect myself and my family?
The best way to avoid becoming infected with West Nile virus is to not get bitten by a mosquito. There are two ways to lessen the risk of mosquito bites for you and your family:
1. Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites; and
2. Eliminate mosquito breeding sites around your home and vacation property.
By taking simple precautions to lessen your chance of being bitten by a mosquito, you can also lessen your chance of getting West Nile virus.
1. Protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites:
2. Eliminate mosquito breeding sites around your home and vacation property:
Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water and it takes about four days for the eggs to grow into adults that are ready to fly. Even a small amount of water, for example, in a saucer under a flower pot, is enough to act as a breeding ground. As a result, it is important to eliminate as much standing water around your property as possible by:
How about using pesticides?
Over-the-counter products that are designed to get rid of garden pests aren't effective for overall mosquito control. Regarding the use of other pesticides, only workers who are licensed by provincial authorities and are trained in the safe use of pesticides can carry out mosquito control programs. Decisions on whether or not to use pesticides to control the spread of West Nile virus in your community will be made by local and provincial health authorities.
As a first step, people should try to eliminate standing water on their property by, for example disposing of old tires and containers and cleaning out rain gutters. However, for wholly-contained sources of standing water on private property where draining is not a practical option, there are registered Domestic and Commercial-class mosquito larvicides available. These contain Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), a naturally-occurring microbe that has minimal impact to health and the environment. For these products to be effective, users must follow the specific instructions on proper timing for their application. For more information, visit the Pest Management Regulatory Agency website.
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