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SPRING HOME & GARDEN - April 2005
Help prevent the spread of mosquitoes in La Plata County
Kelly Becker
Section Editor
We have been blessed with
moisture and more importantly a pretty fair snowpack this past winter. This
probably will mean water will be running into, and collecting in, places we
haven’t thought about in quite awhile. Areas of standing water are definitely
a concern now that the West Nile virus has reared its ugly head. Mickey Bowman
store manager of Basin Co-op (Durango) emphasizes that now is the time to be
thinking about and preparing for dealing with standing water. There are the
obvious places that there will be standing water – stock ponds, tanks and
troughs and evaporation ponds – but the less obvious places must also be
considered and addressed.
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For those of you new to
southwest Colorado it is important to know that there are other
potentially deadly disease-carrying pests in our area. The increased
moisture may also affect their numbers. For specific information on
proper cleaning, preventative and precautionary measures, check with San
Juan Basin Health or pick up brochures at that office in Bodo Park. Here
are some issues of which to be aware ...
•Rocky Mountain
spotted fever – ticks
•Hanta Virus –
Deer mice
•West Nile –
mosquitoes
•Bubonic plague
– fleas infesting animals
•Bacteria (in
mostly dormant water sources and/or wells)
•Giardia – streams |
A mosquito can lay larvae in the
lid of a one liter bottle. But don’t panic. There are precautions that city
and county dwellers alike can take. The number one way everyone can help
"cut the odds" for disease carrying bugs and mice is to clean up their
property. If the area surrounding the home and outbuildings is tidy, it will be
easier to keep track of unwanted "visitors." Another way for people
(even city dwellers) to keep and eye out for breeding places is to walk the
property. Even a small yard offers opportunities for mosquitoes to lay larvae. A
tarp covering lawn tools may catch a small bit of water from a rain shower, so
can a covered boat. Watering cans, rain barrels, buckets and more can all
attract those busy mosquitoes. Obviously, not every single pocket of standing
water in La Plata County can be found and addressed, but it’s all about
reducing the opportunity for laying larvae thus reducing the numbers of
mosquitoes.
There are numerous, safe products
available to use as a defense or precaution against deadly pests. There are
products to put on ourselves and our animals and there are products that can be
put directly in the water without threatening animals drinking from that source.
There are products that can be shaken dry in areas that might at some point fill
with water. So there are options, but consulting with the people who know
about the specific chemicals is probably going to be your best bet.
Bowman says that there needn’t
be a sense of apprehension and fear during the upcoming warm months if everyone
realizes they have done what they can to hold down the number of mosquitoes and
other undesirable pests in our area. "Be proactive," he suggests.
"It will help to avoid feeling paranoid later."•
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// Web Durango / Special Sections / Home & Garden 2005 /
