Protect against mosquitoes
BBQs, swimming and playing outdoors. It’s summer, a time to get outside and have fun. And, unfortunately, it’s also mosquito season. Play it safe this year by following these mosquito bite prevention tips.
Preventing mosquito bites:
- Limit outdoor activities between dusk and dawn, if possible, since this is a peak time for mosquito activity.
- If you are outside when mosquitoes are prevalent, wear protective clothing such as long pants, long-sleeved shirts and socks.
- Use a mosquito repellant that contains DEET (the chemical N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and follow the directions on the label. If you are concerned about using repellent products on children, consult a health care provider for advice.
- Ensure that your home has tight-fitting screens over windows and doors to keep mosquitoes from entering apartments and homes. Be sure that all screens are in good repair.
Eliminating mosquito breeding grounds:
- Dispose of, regularly empty, or turn over any water holding containers on your property such as tires, cans, flower pots or trash cans
- Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left outdoors
- Make sure roof gutters drain properly and water doesn't pool in them
- Change the water in birdbaths twice a week
- Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use
- Keep swimming pools, outdoor saunas and hot tubs clean and properly chlorinated
- Remove standing water from pool covers
- Keep grass cut short and trim shrubs to eliminate hiding places for adult mosquitoes.
- Clean vegetation and debris from the edges of ponds
- Fill in hollow tree stumps and rot holes with sand or concrete
- Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish - water gardens are attractive but become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate
Knox County Health Department mosquito control program
To address public health concerns caused by West Nile Virus (WNV), we conduct a mosquito control program during the summer months. As the weather warms each spring, environmental health professionals begin a weekly process of trapping and testing mosquitoes for WNV, a mosquito-borne disease which can infect humans, horses and birds. If a positive test occurs, KCHD sprays the affected areas and educates the public on how to help reduce the mosquito population. As of July 15, 2015, none of the mosquito pools in Knox County have tested positive for WNV. More information on this program is available by calling (865) 215-5200 or by clicking here.
For more information about mosquito-borne diseases, please visit the Centers for Disease Control website by clicking here.
