Making your home “mosquito-proof” as mosquito season ramps up

Mosquito experts in Monterey County are advising residents to keep an eye out for any standing water left over from the winter months as mosquito season continues.

For some residents this literally means kicking over buckets which may have collected water following a good amount of rain on the Central Coast.

Your drains and gutters should also be cleared out as those can also be a haven for mosquitos to lay their eggs if standing water is available.

From there it’s a matter of patience, according to the Mosquito Abatement District of Monterey County.

“The mosquitos will take a while to disappear after you’ve dumped the buckets and what-not,” says Ken Klemme. “The city storm drains can also form mosquitos so we have to constantly treat that.”

Year-round mosquito-prevention measures also plays a hand in lowering fears of the spread of West Nile virus.

Any sighting of the fresh carcass of a dead bird should be reported to the mosquito abatement office as soon as possible.

“It’s a little too early to know if there’s West Nile in our area,” says Klemme. “We’ll start to see the peak virus activity in July or August.”

The Monterey County Mosquito Abatement Center offers a free service which inspects your home for mosquitos. They can also trap and test for any virus, if necessary.