I don’t know about you, but the mosquitos are so bad this year I have taken to carrying OFF in my purse! They are biting me like crazy, and in fact the City of Dallas has found signs of the virus in the 6600 block of Brookshire, in 75230. The City was planning to spray insecticide tonight and tomorrow, between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m., but now that will likely be postponed due to the weather.
Tonight’s critical area is bounded by Azalea Lane on the north, Tulane Boulevard on the west, Airline Road on the east, and Walnut Hill Lane on the south.
The insecticide is approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for treatment, but residents in the above areas should avoid contact with the spray by staying indoors, according to Dallas code enforcement, which oversees mosquito control. If you are out and in your car, stay in your car with windows rolled up, AC on. If you do come in contact with the spray, just wash it off. It breaks down quickly in sunlight and has no residual effect, which I actually wish it did.
West Nile is a pain in the neck, literally. The virus is carried in birds and transmitted to people by mosquito bites. We also have a yellow naped Amazon parrot I need to protect.
The six positive tests in Dallas have been in the following zip codes:
Dallas: 75230
Duncanville: 75137
Cedar Hill: 75104
Coppell: 75019
Irving: 75038
Mesquite: 75149
Dallas County Health and Human Services recommends the following steps to avoid mosquitoes, but even if you do, trust me the little buggars come out and bite. This spring has been rainy and created the perfect mosquito-breeding environment, just like some City Council members’ pools. H&HS recommends:
DEET All Day, Every Day: Whenever you’re outside, use insect repellants that contain DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. I’m buying by the case, and make sure you are not using last year’s expired spray
DRESS: Wear long, loose and light-colored clothing outside. I do this, too, and they just crawled up my skirt.
DRAIN: Remove all areas of standing water in and around your home. As of yesterday, our yard was bone dry and the mud wasps are taking over. Maybe they eat mosquitos?
DUSK & DAWN: Limit outdoor activities during dusk and dawn hours when mosquitoes are most active. Which means you need sunscreen on top of your Deet. I also love swimming at dusk. How did life get so darn complicated?
