Lynnfield Plans Mosquito Spraying After EEE Turns Up In Area

The following is an announcement from the Lynnfield Board of Health:

Health Director Kristin Esposito McRae has announced that a town-border mosquito spray effort will take place later this month.

On August 1, 2012 the Town of Reading had an Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) positive mammal-biting mosquito sample (species: Coquillettidia perturbans).

In response, the Town of Lynnfield, through the Northeast Massachusetts Mosquito Control and Wetlands Management District (NEMMC), will carry out a targeted town-border mosquito spray effort. This target is made through surveillance data and will encompass the area of Lynnfield west of Main Street stretching from Reading/No Reading down to 128.

The truck-mounted spray is expected to occur after 8 p.m. on Thursday August 16, 2012 but may be adjusted to the following available night due to weather conditions.

Residents do not need to take special precautions to prepare for the spray activity but are urged to take personal protection measures to avoid mosquito bites. Residents may choose to stay indoors or close windows during the spray effort but again protecting from mosquito bites is the key priority.

What can you do to protect yourself from EEE and WNV?

Since EEE and West Nile Virus (WNV) may be spread by mosquitoes, here are some things you can do to reduce your chances of being bitten:

• Schedule outdoor events to avoid the hours between dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes are most active.

• When you are outdoors, wear long pants, a long-sleeved shirt and socks. This may be difficult to do when the weather is hot, but it will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

• Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), IR3535 (3-[N-butyl-N-acetyl]-aminopropionic acid) or oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-menthane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] according to the instructions on the product label.

DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin.

More information on choosing and using repellents safely is included in the MDPH Mosquito Repellents fact sheet which can be viewed online at www.mass.gov/dph/wnv. If you can’t go online, contact the MDPH at (617) 983-6800 for a hard copy.

• Keep mosquitoes out of your house by repairing any holes in your screens and making sure they are tightly attached to all your doors and windows.

• Remove areas of standing water around your home. Here are some suggestions:

Look around outside your house for containers and other things that might collect water and turn them over, regularly empty them, or dispose of them.

Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers that are left outdoors so that water can drain out.

Clean clogged roof gutters; remove leaves and debris that may prevent drainage of rainwater.

Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.

Change the water in birdbaths every few days; aerate ornamental ponds or stock them with fish.

Keep swimming pools clean and properly chlorinated; remove standing water from pool covers.

Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.