COLUMBIA - The drought may have briefly quieted the buzz from some of South Carolina’s most unwelcome guests but recent rains can provide nurseries for tiny, yet persistent, mosquitoes.

"A key factor in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases, such as West Nile virus, is to reduce mosquito breeding grounds," said Sue Ferguson, an environmental health manager with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Bureau of Environmental Health.
"Early summer is a great time to reduce mosquito-breeding sites. Look around yards and neighborhoods and eliminate mosquito-breeding sites before mosquitoes set up housekeeping next to you.

"Check your property for low-lying areas and yard items that could hold standing water, which is where mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs,"
said Ferguson. "Recent periods of rainfall can increase mosquito populations. Detecting and eliminating breeding sites in advance can significantly reduce mosquito populations, which are able to emerge from very small amounts of water if that water is allowed to stagnate.

"People can look for and eliminate typical breeding sites such as stagnant water in low areas, drainage ditches, tires, buckets, gutters, boats, flower pots or any outdoor water-holding containers. People should pay particular attention to those areas and keep them dry. It is important to support local mosquito prevention and control efforts, and mosquito awareness week is a fine time to get into the habit.”

Other items to check:
Make sure screens on windows and doors are in good repair.
Clean fallen leaves and other debris out of gutters and spouting.
Keep birdbaths and pet bowls clean. Flush with clear water and
clean out at least once per week.
Stock ornamental ponds with minnows. Use appropriately labeled
products to control mosquito larvae.
Do not let water stand on swimming pool covers or other tarps
covering outdoor items, such as woodpiles, boats, etc.
Trim and maintain shrubs and grass.

In addition to preventing mosquitoes from breeding, Ferguson said people should practice personal protection measures to avoid mosquito
bites:
Stay inside at dawn, dusk and early evening when mosquitoes are
most active.
If you must be outside during these times, wear long-sleeved shirts
and pants.
Use appropriate insect repellents according to label directions.

"It is important to learn how to avoid mosquito bites to reduce our chances of exposure to mosquito-borne diseases, as well as to conduct mosquito prevention and control efforts year-round, but especially so during summer and fall," said Dr. Lena Bretous, epidemiologist for vector-borne diseases with DHEC’s Bureau of Disease Control.
"Mosquitoes become infected with the virus when they feed on infected birds. They then transmit the virus, during feeding, to humans and animals.”

Horses and dogs also can get mosquito-borne diseases. Check with your veterinarian about heartworm testing and preventive medicine for dogs.
Vaccines are available to prevent West Nile virus as well as Eastern equine encephalitis virus in equines. Each vaccine should be administered twice per year because South Carolina’s mosquito season is so long.

DHEC’s West Nile virus Web site reports data gathered from its Bureau of Labs, along with collaborative data contributed by the Department of Natural Resources and Clemson University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Center.

"To successfully fight diseases transmitted by mosquitoes, such as West Nile virus and Eastern equine encephalitis, everyone needs to take steps," said Chris Evans, Ph.D., an entomologist with DHEC’s Bureau of Laboratories. "One of the most important partnerships we have in this fight is with our citizens, who can assist with West Nile virus surveillance by submitting dead blue jays and crows for testing.

"However, DHEC has seen a drop in the numbers of birds submitted this year," said Evans. "Testing is designed to complement the efforts of local mosquito control programs by providing information about which mosquito species should be targeted for control so we hope citizens will help us help them by bringing in birds suitable for testing."

Evans said submission dates for blue jays and crows will continue through Nov. 30. People are asked to follow the directions on the bird submission Web site to safely pick up and transport the birds to the closest DHEC Environmental Health office for testing.

For assistance with mosquito control efforts, contact your local mosquito control program. For guidelines on submitting bird samples, surveillance data or more information on West Nile virus, visit:
http://www.dhec.sc.gov/westnile. For information on various mosquito-related subjects such as home mosquito control methods, repellents, and mosquito biology, visit DHEC’s Web site at:
http://www.dhec.sc.gov/mosquitoes, or the American Mosquito Control Association’s Web site at: http://www.mosquito.org.