Four Lakes task force
Chippewa Nature Center
How to Protect Your Family
We partner with homeowners to provide the best results. Educating our residents on best practices has been a top priority since the program began in 1984!
It only takes a bottle cap worth of water to produce mosquitoes. Which is why we emphasize habitat reduction in your yard with events like our bi-annual tire drive. Read further to learn how to protect your family from mosquito bites.
Tip 'N Toss
Mosquitoes are versatile and lay eggs wherever they can. Practice the following to reduce mosquitoes in your yard:
• Dump out containers holding standing water like buckets, refuse, and ensure tires are neatly stacked and covered, indoors, or turn them in at our spring and fall tire drive.
• Clean out bird baths once a week.
• Scrub any dishes or containers that hold water weekly.
• Securely cover water storage containers.
• Tighten loose tarps to eliminate water pooling.
• Add a current to your pond with a bubbler and keep the edges free of plant material.
• If water can’t be removed, use a product like BTI dunks early in the season.
Use Insect Repellent
Use EPA registered insect repellents with one of the active ingredients below. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven low risk and effective, even for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
- DEET.
- Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the US).
- IR3535.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE).
- Para-menthane-diol (PMD).
- 2-undecanone.
Protect Yourself
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants.
- Treat items such as boots, pants, socks, and tents with permethrin or buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
- Permethrin is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes.
- Permethrin-treated clothing will protect you after multiple washings. See product information to find out how long the protection will last.
- If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions.
- Do not use permethrin products directly on skin.
Tips for Babies and Children
- Always follow instructions when applying insect repellent to children.
- Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months old.
- Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and legs.
- Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting.
- Do not use products containing lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children younger than 3 years old.
- Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s hands, eyes, mouth, cuts or irritated skin.
- Adults: spray insect repellent onto your hands and then apply to a child’s face.
Tips for Everyone
- Follow the product label instructions.
- Reapply insect repellent as directed.
- To protect yourself against diseases spread by mosquitoes, CDC, and EPA recommend using an EPA-registered insect repellent.
- Wear Loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts.
- Treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin according to label instructions.
Take Steps to Control Mosquitoes Indoors and Outdoors
- Use screens on windows and doors.
- Repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.
- Use air conditioning if available.
- Stop mosquitoes from laying eggs in or near water by installing fine mesh screens tightly over your water holding containers.
- Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, or trash containers.
- Check for water-holding containers both indoors and outdoors.
- Turn in up to 10 rimless tires at our bi-annual tire drive.
