| Check Yard for Possible Mosquito "Hot Spots" |
|
|
|
advertisement
|
By Lindsay Bond Totten
Scripps Howard News Service
September, 2002 West Nile virus has come home to roost (so to speak). Dead birds -- crows, blue jays, an owl and others -- discovered in three neighborhoods near my home have tested positive for the disease. Officials confirmed it last week. The health department is urging residents not to panic. But it's hard to stay calm while news of the virus makes headlines daily. West Nile virus is spread by mosquitoes, of course, ubiquitous insects whose itchy bites have always posed a minor gardening challenge. The threat of catching West Nile virus from one of those bites is cause for concern. It won't keep me out of the garden -- and it shouldn't keep you out either -- but it certainly makes sense to reduce your chances of getting bitten by mosquitoes. The increased risk to gardeners seems obvious: We spend a lot of time outdoors, and we create, either by design or by accident, places where mosquitoes collect. Following warnings on the news last week, I examined my own Pennsylvania landscape and several of those around me for mosquito "hot spots." I was surprised at the number of potential breeding sites I discovered: - Large buckets used for mixing soil and carrying cut flowers had each collected an inch or two of rainwater.
- Saucers beneath some of my large containers had standing water. Three that don't draw well even had algae growing on the surface -- a sure sign of stagnant water.
- A stack of plastic pots near the tool shed had tipped onto its side. Each was holding a small puddle of water.
- A large sheet of black plastic that I hadn't gotten around to rolling and storing yet lay crumpled by the vegetable garden. Small pools of water were captured in its folds.
- Sections of gutters were clogged with debris from the oak tree above the house.
- A covered cistern on our property has a small hole in the top for access -- plenty big enough for a mosquito to access it, too. Some gardeners in the rural neighborhood around us fill rain barrels to help get through summer's dry spells.
- Our next-door neighbors have a birdbath. A bit of algae growing around the edge suggests that it's been a while since the water was changed.
- The same family has two old rubber tires stacked behind their garage. Hidden by foliage, the tires never bothered me much, but I may offer to dispose of them for my neighbor now. Our old tire swing, hanging from the cherry tree out back, may also have to go. No one's played on it for years.
- Gardeners down the street keep a half-filled washtub near their potting shed. They use it for dunking pots when they don't want to get out the hose.
- Three ponds on our property represent the most significant mosquito hazard of all. One is abandoned and completely overgrown with shrubs, but the concrete basin still holds a foot or two of water. I hadn't thought about that old pond for ages.
Any of these sites could provide enough standing water for mosquitoes to lay eggs. It doesn't take much, just a cupful or so. From now on, we'll make sure that pots and buckets are stacked upside-down, gutters get cleaned more regularly and that the hole in the cistern cover is protected by plastic screening. For those who own birdbaths, fountains, watering troughs or washtubs, it's a good idea to change the water weekly. Water gardeners who live in areas where West Nile virus is present should be extra attentive to maintaining a healthy fish population in their ponds. We don't feed our two fish but force them to scavenge for bits of food in the water and among the submerged plants on the bottom. They keep the water very clean. Extra security for pond owners comes in the form of a biological mosquito control called Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). Vegetable gardeners will recognize Bt as a control for caterpillars. This strain of the bacterial insecticide is closely related, but it kills only mosquito larvae without harming other living things. We'll make sure all three of our ponds are treated regularly with the little beige-colored rings. (Just break the rings into smaller pieces to toss into birdbaths, fountains or saucers.) Gardeners should protect themselves, too, by applying insect repellent to exposed skin before heading outdoors. Reapply frequently, as mosquitoes are attracted to sweat. (Lindsay Bond Totten, a horticulturist, writes about gardening for Scripps Howard News Service.)
| 
