Protect your family from mosquito borne disease - remove standing water from your property

Health officials around Florida are urging residents and visitors to protect themselves from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

The main concern at this time is Zika infection, which is spread by the Aedes mosquito.

Those mosquitoes can also carry dengue fever, yellow fever and a number of other diseases.

The best way to protect yourself from getting sick is to avoid getting bit in the first place.

The most effective way to do that is to remove standing water from your property.

Aedis mosquitoes breed in standing water and they tend to stay within 100 feet of where they breed so removing standing water can do a lot to keep your yard mosquito free.

Replace birdbath water often, and if you have a boat, make sure to check the tarp for water.

Cleaning gutters and drainage ditches and fixing leaking outdoor faucets can also remove prime mosquito breeding sites.

It’s also recommended that you wear long sleeves and long pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, and use a good insect repellant with DEET.

And remember, if you have any mosquito related concerns, call the Franklin County Mosquito control Department at 670- 8730.

There's also a new Zika Virus Hotline in Florida where people can call and talk to a live person about what's going on with the virus in the state. 

The hotline number is 855-622-6735.

http://live.oysterradio.com/