By Dillon Goring

THE Vector Control Service of the Ministry of Public Health will be conducting a fogging exercise on today from 17:00 hrs (5pm).
The areas that will receive special attention are Agricola, Eccles and Bagotstown and the exercise is aimed at exterminating mosquitoes in these areas.
According to a release issued by the ministry, residents in these areas made complaints to the Health Ministry to have their areas fogged. As a result, the ministry is asking members of the public to keep their yards clear and to ensure that breeding sites for larvae are removed. Residents in these areas are also advised to allow the fogging mist to pass through their homes.It is also important that potable water sources be properly covered a before fogging begins.
Residents are asked to take the following precautions: all drinking water must be covered and all food, whether cooked or uncooked, must be secured. Ensure that all pets and poultry are secured during the fogging exercise, while at the same time the ministry is also advising that persons who are asthmatic are kept away from fogging droplets.

Homeowners can take the following steps to prevent mosquitoes breeding on their properties:-
Destroy or dispose of tin cans, old tyres, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow water to accumulate in the saucers of flowerpots, cemetery urns or in pet dishes for more than (2) two days.

Clean debris from rain gutters and remove any standing water under or around structures, or on flat roofs. Check around faucets and air-conditioning units and repair leaks or eliminate puddles that remain for several days.

Change the water in birdbaths and wading pools at least once a week and stock ornamental pools with top feeding predacious minnows known as mosquito fish; these minnows are about 1”- 1-1/2” inches in length and can be purchased, or native fish can be seined from local streams and creeks.

Fill or drain puddles, ditches and swampy areas, and either remove, drain or fill tree holes and stumps with mortar. These areas may be treated with Abate 1%sand granules.

Eliminate seepage from cisterns, cesspools and septic tanks.

Eliminate standing water around animal watering troughs. Flush livestock water troughs twice a week.
Check for trapped water in plastic or canvas traps used to cover boats, pools, etc. Arrange the traps to drain the water.

Check around construction sites or do-it-yourself improvements to ensure that proper backfilling and grading prevent drainage problems.

Irrigate lawn and gardens carefully to prevent water from standing for several days.
If ditches do not flow and contain stagnant water for one week or longer, they can produce large numbers of mosquitoes. Report such conditions to Mosquito Control or Public Health Office. Do not attempt to clean these ditches, because they may be protected by wetland regulations.