Mosquitoes multiply in summer. In urban areas, they love to breed in favorable spots that people have created: bird baths, forgotten bowls of water left out for pets, plates under outdoor (or indoor!) plants, unused wading pools, ill-draining eaves, any other stagnant water.

It is our civic duty to empty out all stagnant water! Doing so every 3-5 days should be in plenty of time to stop eggs from turning into adults. If the water can’t be emptied, use a larvicide (“mosquito dunks,” available at hardware stores and through some municipalities).

The irony is that if we could somehow stop mosquitoes from biting us, they could not lay eggs! In many areas, they could not get enough nutrients from wild animals like crows and horses, so, vampire-like, they must thrive on human blood.

If you or any member of your family have a chemical sensitivity, please register with the state here.

You will need to print out the form and have your doctor endorse your request. Then the County or any other sprayer of chemicals within 500′ of your house and/or workplace will need to give you advance notice of any spraying. That gives you time to absent yourself, close all windows, turn off air intakes in air conditioners, etc.

And: all bees are hypersensitive! In fact, exposure to chemical sprays kills them and most other insects (mosquitoes are more elusive and resistant than others). If you manage a bee hive, even a small one, you should register it with the state here.

Then your bees will get better protection than you do, because sprayers are not allowed to spray within 500′ of your hive.