Tips to Rid Your Community of Mosquito Breeding Sites

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Dear Fellow Battery Park Residents,

Let’s get rid of the mosquitoes! Montgomery County says it is almost impossible to stop mosquitoes once they are bad; it is better to prevent them. Here’s how we can do that:

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  • Clean rain gutters to allow water to flow freely.

  • Remove old tires or drill drainage holes in tires used for playground equipment.

  • Store plastic wading pools inside or turn them upside down when not in use.

  • Turn over or remove clay pots and plastic containers.

  • Dispose of all empty beverage containers, plastic wrappers, discarded toys, etc.

  • Check for trapped water in plastic or canvas tarps used to cover boats, pools, etc. Arrange the tarp to drain the water.

  • Pump out bilges in boats. Turn canoes and small boats upside down for storage.

  • Replace water in bird baths at least twice a week.

  • Remove pet food and water dishes that are not being used.

  • Don't leave garbage can lids lying upside down. Be sure water does not collect in the bottom of garbage cans.

  • Flush water in the bottom of plant holders twice a week.

  • Fix dripping outside water faucets.

  • Turn wheelbarrows upside down when stored outside.

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

  • Check ornamental ponds, tree holes and water-holding low areas for mosquito larvae.

  • 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 a Mosquito Control Office. Do not attempt to clear these ditches because they may be protected by wetland regulations.

  • Contact the Mosquito Control Section of the Maryland Department of Agriculture Annapolis (HQ) 410-841-5870 or http://www.mda.state.md.us/plants-pests/mosquito_control/tips_rid_your_community_mosquito_breeding_sites.php

  • In Maryland, tiger mosquito eggs are present year round. Larvae are present from April through October. Adult tiger mosquitoes are found May through October. The period of peak population is June through September. Most adults will be found within a few hundred yards of the breeding container.Use mosquito dunks. Put them in any standing water (like gutters and drainage pipes, wet spots under faucets). These dunks are organic and only toxic to mosquitoes. Put one down the black plastic pipes coming off downspouts. Mosquitoes can breed in the water held in the folds of the black plastic pipes.

  • Coffee grounds in the soggy spots. Put your used coffee grounds under the outdoor faucets, below your Air Conditioner drain pipe, downspouts, sump pump outlets, plant pot trays, hosta (they hold water in their stems). Anywhere that is often damp!Coffee grounds are also good fertilizer for your plants. See the website for directions on diluting for plants. http://www.ehow.com/how_4871435_use-recycled-coffee-grounds-garden.html