The best possible way to avoid West Nile Virus is to avoid
being bitten by mosquitoes. West Nile is spread through the
bite of an infected mosquito and can infect humans, horses, birds
and other animals. Most people who are infected with West Nile
Virus either have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. There is
the possibility of the infection becoming severe or even fatal.
Most female mosquitoes require a blood meal for egg production whereas males feed on nectar and do not bite. Eggs can be laid on the surface of water or in dry locations that are occasionally flooded by water. Some eggs are able to remain dormant under dry conditions for several months. Eggs hatch into larvae, or wigglers. Mosquito larvae live in water and feed on organic debris or microscopic plants and animals. Larvae molt into pupae which do not feed. Mosquito pupae spend the majority of their time at the surface of the water, only moving when disturbed.
Many things can help to reduce mosquito problems around your home. Eliminate all sources of standing water. Containers such as watering cans, buckets and bottles can turn into mosquito breeding grounds. Water should be drained from birdbaths, rain barrels, gutters, flowerpots and pet dishes at least once a week. Children's wading pools should be emptied of water at least once a week and stored indoors when not in use. Tree holes should be filled in with sand or mortar, or drained after each rain. Leaky faucets and pipes located outside should be repaired.
Areas that cannot be drained, such as ponds, can be stocked with mosquito fish that eat mosquito larvae. Dunks can also be used in these areas. Dunks are a small, donut-shaped product that contains Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis. The donut disrupts the life cycle of the mosquito and is non-toxic to humans, amphibians and fish. Dunks are not for use in drinking water sources.
Many products have recently come onto the market, which may not work as well as they claim. Sonic repellants that mimic human heartbeats will not reduce the chance of being bitten by a mosquito. Mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide and heat released by humans and animals, not their heartbeat. Another type of sonic repellant releases a high frequency sound that mimics sound made by male mosquitoes, but male mosquitoes only repel females that have taken a blood meal.
Other devices are set up to trap mosquitoes, a task at which they succeed. These traps typically use propane to produce carbon dioxide and heat to attract mosquitoes to the area. Since there can be thousands of mosquitoes around a home, these devices look as if they are doing a great job, the downfall is the number of mosquitoes you are bringing into your yard that would not normally be there. By the way, this holds true for bug zappers too.
This information is courtesy of the Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M University.
 We stand in solidarity with Women in Black all over the world who oppose political violence and human rights abuses. We stand in opposition to U.S. war against Iraq. Women in Black is not an organization. It is an idea, an international peace network, a way to mobilize action by focusing attention on the unacceptable human cost of war and injustice. These vigils began in 1988 in Jerusalem - Israeli and Palestinian women standing together to protest the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. In Yugoslavia, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, England, Italy, France - worldwide Women in Black groups stand in weekly (often silent) vigils. In Austin we dedicate a segment of each "stand" to silent vigil. Join this group of women, who hold diverse views and come from different cultures, as we insist that war is not the way to resolve human conflict. |
