“Mosquitoes are here,” Aaron Lombard, the vector control coordinator for Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties, recently told the community at the Monroe County commissioners meeting.

Lombard confirmed that they have already found mosquitoes carrying the West Nile virus in the area.

“It’s nothing to be afraid of,” he said. “The mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus primarily feed on birds, and those mosquitoes like to breed in wastewater facilities. That’s usually our first point of looking for the mosquitoes, and that’s where we found it.”

Lombard said the West Nile virus is a relatively low risk disease for most people but can be a problem for infants and elderly. For that reason, they are paying particular attention to parks, playgrounds, day care centers, nursing homes and retirement communities. They are monitoring mosquito populations throughout the counties, and applying “the necessary mosquito control services to keep those populations low and from spreading disease and biting people.”

His department’s biggest concern is when the general public doesn’t pay attention to standing water on their properties and let it go, providing the perfect environment for mosquitoes to breed, eggs to hatch, and larvae to grow into adult mosquitoes. Buckets, barrels, tires and other containers can hold water much longer than natural features, such as a dirt drainage ditch.

By neglecting to dump and drain containers of standing water, “you’re inviting mosquitoes close to your homes and those mosquitoes have the opportunity to have picked up West Nile virus from the bird population,” Lombard said. “So, it’s just really important that you want to protect your neighborhoods, your homes and keep standing water away. Dump and drain, and if something you can’t take care of yourself, we can come out and treat it.”

A resident asked him about the proper way to take care of a bird bath. Lombard replied that the water should be changed at least once a week. This will keep the eggs from being able to hatch or the larvae from growing into adulthood. He also recommends cleaning the container once a week.

“Don’t make the problem worse,” Lombard said. “They will bite you if given the opportunity, but we don’t want to give them the opportunity.”

If the water feature in the yard is a pond, Lombard recommended adding a aeration feature to keep the water moving. It is difficult for mosquitoes to breed in moving water.