City encourages citizens to help prevent mosquito threats

Submitted by Bert Dowlen, Public Works, City of Howe

Well it’s that time of the year again and all backyard enthusiast, picnickers, hikers and campers will have to deal with everyone’s favorite pest, the mosquito They will be out reminding all of us that we forgot to bring mosquito spray or even worse we had it and did not use it ouch! Each of us will be dealing with a large mosquito population due to the rainy fall, winter and continue into the spring and summer

Along with the mosquitoes come the diseases and just plain old aggravation The usual threat of West Nile virus comes back every year This year we have a new set of viral threats to deal with In order to deal with these threats it’s important to have citizens help us in this fight insuring we provide a safe environment for our adults, children and grandchildren Here are some helpful suggestions that will help you and your family win the battle with the Mosquito.

We will be patrolling the city identifying and documenting trouble spots where mosquitoes tend to breed; which includes but not limited to tires, buckets, junk vehicles and larger bodies of water treating or eliminating where possible reducing the mosquito population

The city of Howe wants to thank everyone throughout the City of Howe for your help fighting the mosquito nuisance It will be a tough, long continuous battle to reduce the number mosquitoes in our area and we are assisting the overall fight in Grayson County and throughout State Texas

How do I protect myself from mosquito bites?

1 Wear insect repellent: Yes! It is safe. When used as directed, insect repellent is the BEST way to protect yourself from mosquito bites even children and pregnant women should protect themselves. Higher percentages of active ingredient provide longer lasting protection

DEET: Products containing DEET include Cutter, OFF!, Skintastic Picaridin (also known as KBR 3023, Bayrepel, and icaridin): Products containing picaridin include Cutter Advanced, Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus, and Autan outside the United States)

Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or PMD: Repel contains OLE

IR3535: Products containing IR3535 include Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Expedition and SkinSmart.

2 Cover up: When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and pants

3 Keep mosquitoes outside: Use air conditioning or make sure that you repair and use window/door screens