What You Can Do

Perhaps the best way of controlling mosquitoes is to eliminate unnecessary breeding habitat. Water is required for mosquito eggs to hatch. Simply put, if no water is available, the mosquito life cycle ends.  This is where county resident can help.  You can take the following steps to reduce mosquito breeding habitat on your property:  

(Source: Information provided by the American Mosquito Control Association)

Protect Yourself

DEET is the most effective insect repellent available. The more DEET an insect repellent contains, the longer it will protect you. A higher percentage of DEET does not mean it will protect you better, just that it will last longer. While products containing DEET are safe, follow these steps when applying:  

A viable alternative to DEET is Picaridin, which is similar in effectiveness to DEET but more pleasant to use and less likely to cause skin irritation. Picaridin, developed by Bayer®, has been used as an insect repellent worldwide since 1998 and is one of the best-selling insect repellents in Europe. It has been available in the United States since 2005. It is a synthetic compound that was made to resemble the natural compound piperine, which is found in the group of plants that are used to produce black pepper.

More information regarding insect repellent use and safety can be found on the US Center for Disease Control's website.

Other ways to protect yourself:

Unused, discarded containers where water can collect become ideal breeding spots for mosquitoes.  Survey your yards and farms to get rid of these containers.