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VECTOR CONTROL INFORMATION:
Mosquitoes can be a nuisance as well as a menace if not controlled. The first line of control is prevention or source reduction. Treating adult mosquitoes with insecticide will only allow marginal results. Source reduction can be accomplished through simple tasks. Since a mosquito’s life cycle is approximately ten days, occasional changing pets’ water dishes or potted plants water saucers can eradicate mosquito larvae and eliminate breeding areas for adult mosquitoes. Refrain from over-watering yards, which allow for standing water. Eliminating trash and debris such as old tires is another method of source reduction. The most common source for mosquitoes in Plano is stagnant swimming pools. If pool water is constantly circulated through a filter system and chlorinated, mosquito larvae cannot survive.
Mosquitoes such as the Culex quinquefasciatus, otherwise known as the Southern House mosquito, have the ability to transmit diseases such as Encephalitis and the West Nile Virus. Since mosquitoes can be carriers of disease, the City of Plano’s Health Department randomly traps mosquitoes and sends these samples to the Texas Department of Health’s laboratories for analysis. If a sample is positive for any disease, the residents in that area are notified.
Citizens having problems with mosquitoes should contact the City of Plano’s Health Department. An inspector will survey the area and assist citizens in evaluating potential mosquito breeding areas. The Health Department is responsible for larviciding (an agent when dissolved in water inhibits mosquito larvae growth) and adulticiding (use of an insecticide to destroy adult mosquitoes). The City of Plano’s Health Department can be contacted at (972) 941-7143. |