Protect Yourself From Mosquitoes After Historic Rainfall

The City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department and the Bernalillo County Health Protection Section are anticipating a significant increase in mosquito activity that will likely persist through the summer after recent heavy rainfall. Mosquitoes breed in standing water and can go from egg to adult in as little as 7 days. The joint City-County mosquito control program has recommendations for folks to help reduce breeding and prevent bites in anticipation of very high mosquito populations.

“Everyone plays a role in preventing mosquito breeding, which is our best way to control the population,” said City of Albuquerque Urban Biology Manager, Nick Pederson. “Even a small soda can will provide enough water to breed hundreds of pesky mosquitoes.”

“City and County staff are working hard to keep mosquito populations in check to allow our constituents to enjoy their outdoor spaces,” said Bernalillo County Planning and Development Services Director, Nick Hamm. “We encourage people to take precautions and to contact us if they need more information about the mosquito control program.”

To prevent mosquito breeding, residents should:

• Eliminate water-holding containers where mosquitoes lay their eggs, such as: old tires, discarded cans and trash, and pet dishes;
• After it rains, check for objects around your home that have collected water and dump out the water including children’s toys, flower pots, and wheel barrows;
• Regularly change the water in birdbaths;
• Maintain ponds and backyard swimming pools;
• Make sure rain barrels are fitted with a screen;
• When flood-irrigating, prevent water from standing for more than a few days.

Mosquitoes can transmit serious diseases such as West Nile virus. In addition, mosquitoes can be a significant nuisance that can disrupt daily life and outdoor activities.

“With our families planning to spend time outdoors for the holiday this week, it’s so important to protect ourselves from mosquitoes,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “We can all help keep our communities safe by taking a few simple steps to reduce opportunities for mosquitoes to take over, so we can all enjoy more pest-free fun.”

Residents should protect themselves from mosquito bites by:

• Avoiding outdoor activities during times of day like dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active,
• Wearing long, loose, light-colored clothing, and
• Using insect repellent with proven ingredients to avoid mosquito bites like DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone.

Residents are encouraged to call 311 to report standing water. Learn more about mosquito prevention at cabq.gov/mosquitoes.