“We know that mosquitoes carry a lot of different diseases,” said Milford’s Director of Health, Deepa Joseph. “We want to take proactive steps to limit the interaction between mosquitoes and humans in our community.”
She says April through October is a crucial time when it comes to public health and mosquitoes. On Wednesday, the city of Milford kicked off its Mosquito Control Program putting out traps to help collect data on the insects.
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WATCH HEREThis June, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station will start its mosquito surveillance program, collecting mosquitoes and data from the 108 traps placed throughout the state.
“It’s all about surveillance,” said Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Mosquito Management Coordinator Roger Wolfe. “You have to know what’s out there before you can do anything about it.”
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SIGN UP The goal is to track and reduce the spread of the West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, and other mosquito-transmitted illnesses.
“We want to be able to address things now, so that we don’t get to the point where we have to be reactive,” Joseph said.
As warmer temperatures come, the Milford Health Department is urging people to dump any standing water in their yards, wear long sleeves and light-colored clothing, use EPA-approved insect repellent, and limit their time outside during the early morning and evening hours.
