Mosquitoes are more than blood-sucking, disease-carrying insects. They put a strain on finances as communities and homeowners try to control them.
North Augusta Animal Control officer Michael Strauss said the city spends an estimated $5,000 a year to control mosquitoes. He sprays for the pests between 4:30 and 6:30 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday.
The city uses Biomist3+15, an ultra-low volume application used to control adult mosquitoes. Its main ingredients are permethrin and piperonyl butoxide.
"July and August is the prime peak season" for receiving calls about mosquito problems, Strauss said.
The Carolina bays in North Augusta are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, as is any swampy area, he said.
Residents can help reduce the mosquito population by removing stagnant water such as that found in the bottom of a potted plant. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a teaspoon of water, Strauss said.
There are several ways people can protect the environment and themselves from mosquitoes.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmen-tal Control suggests removing any items from a yard that can hold water.
Other recommendations include repairing leaky outdoor faucets, changing the pet's water dish daily, cleaning children's wading pools once a week, keeping gutters clear of debris, filling in tree holes with sand or concrete, and putting mosquito-eating minnows in garden ponds.
People can protect themselves from the bite of a blood-thirsty female mosquito by using screens on doors and windows, wearing light-colored clothing, reducing weeds and keeping the yard mowed, and by using repellents that contain DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535.
Viruses such as West Nile, first found in the United States in 1999 in New York City, are spread by mosquitoes. In 2002, the first human case of West Nile in South Carolina was discovered, according to DHEC.
Reach Crystal Garcia at crystal.garcia@northaugustatoday.com.
