Connecticut

Ledge Light Health District Offering Mosquito Control Assistance

The Ledge Light Health District is offering a larvicide designed to lessen the potential for West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Zika Virus by killing off mosquitoes before they become flying/feeding adults.

Mosquitoes are beginning to breed for the summer season and one health district in southeastern Connecticut is helping homeowners be proactive about managing them.

“I’m allergic to mosquitoes so it definitely hurts,” said Ledyard resident Marianne Rice.

Along with bug spray, she also sprays her yard to steer clear of mosquito bites.

The Ledge Light Health District is looking to help people in East Lyme, Groton, Ledyard, Old Lyme, New London, North Stonington, Stonington and Waterford control the pesky insect with mosquito dunks. It’s a larvicide designed to lessen the potential for West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Zika Virus by killing off mosquitoes before they become flying/feeding adults.

Ledge Light said the larvicide is safe to use around a home because it’s a naturally occurring biological treatment.

For free, the health district will visit a property to look for standing water issues and recommend ways to eliminate mosquito breeding conditions, conduct an initial treatment with mosquito dunks, even provide a season-long supply of mosquito dunks as long as Ledge Light’s supply lasts. The district will only provide larvicide dunks for standing water bodies less than 400 square feet.

“Where I currently live, there’s a pool of area because the drain it doesn’t go down. It actually goes through the system – the rain system -- and into our backyard,” said Christine Rice, who lives in Groton.

Ledge Light’s offer is something she’s interested in exploring.

“We ended up with a lot of mosquitoes in our backyard,” she said.

Mosquitoes breed in standing water. That could include a yard, clogged rain gutters, even pool covers.

Philip Armstrong, the director of the statewide mosquito surveillance program through the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station said last year there was record West Nile Virus activity in Connecticut, with 23 West Nile Virus cases reported. One was fatal.

Some people are not taking any chances.

“My husband got chewed up. We go around and make sure that we pour out all the buckets of water that have been accumulating,” Brianna Ryan, of Groton, said.

Ledge Light Health District said it’s important to empty standing water on property once a week. If that water cannot be clear, that’s when a larvicide should be used. Adult mosquitoes are much more difficult and more expensive to get rid of.

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