Northern VA homeowners need to take action to protect their families and friends from mosquito bites that may cause West Nile Virus. Learn when infestations are more likely, how to prevent mosquito populations from settling near your home, and how to protect yourself and others from getting bitten.

West Nile can be a deadly virus to contract. In milder cases that last about 3 to 6 days, a person may experience the following symptoms:

Fever
Headache, body aches and pain behind eyes
Rash on chest, arms, and back
Fatigue
No appetite
Nausea or vomiting
Swollen lymph glands

In more severe cases that can last for weeks or months the above symptoms are deeper and can lead to coma and possibly death. West Nile is not anything someone should blow off as a non- concern. The only way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to take some simple actions that can be quite effective.

When are Mosquitos more likely to be seen?

In Northern VA mosquito season is not “officially” monitored by the state until July 1 each year. The state then begins to monitor areas when mosquitoes tend to congregate. They collect a sample of the insects and test them for West Nile Disease. The will use safe pesticides to reduce the populations and report the information they find. Also, if there is a case found in a human reported to them from doctors and hospitals they will report that information to the public.

When it rains a lot and the temperatures are warmer earlier in the season, the mosquitoes can get a head start before the state begins to record data in July. The best and wisest thing one can do is to take action to start mosquito control early.

You can fight mosquito populations from growing

There are a few simple things you can do as a homeowner to prevent mosquitos near your home:

Remove or turn over anything on your land that will likely collect water, including old tires, potted plant trays, buckets, toys, and wading pools.
If you cover anything with a tarp, clean it off of standing water at least weekly.
If you have a flat roof, remove any standing water.
Clean out bird baths weekly.
Clean out gutters and downspouts and any screens regularly.

Protect yourself and your family as best you can

You may not be able to get rid of all the mosquitoes, but you can make quite a dent in their population. In addition to preventing mosquitos, you and your family need to take personal precautions:

Wear loose, light-colored clothing and make sure arms and legs are covered well.
Stay inside when mosquitoes are most active first thing in the morning and when the sun sets.
If you must be outside, use a mosquito repellant with the lowest amount of DEET in to for the amount of time you will be outside. Caution: Do not use DEET on infants.

In addition to these preventive measures you can also sign up for a Monthly Service that will kill the mosquitoes were they tend to live. If you are concerned about chemicals, look into environmentally save products.