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Don’t Breed Mosquitoes

It is nice that it has started raining again, but now we must all be very careful to not let the mosquitoes get going. Every little thing holds rain water, and as it puddles up, the tiny squigglers won’t be far behind.

Now that local mosquitoes may be carrying not only West Nile virus (WNV), but also EEE, eastern equine encephalitis, we need to be very careful of our environment.

As if the ticks weren’t bad enough. What next?

It is important to provide water for our pollinators, beneficial insects and birds. But, unfortunately, most bird baths, unattended, can also breed mosquitoes quickly. Any bucket or pail holding water can be full of mosquito larvae and also deathtrap to bees.

A good product to fight off mosquitoes is Summit Responsible Solutions Mosquito Bits. If you keep a jug around, it is simple to sprinkle some into any standing water that can’t be easily dumped out. Dr. Kimberly Stoner, our state entomologist, said at a recent pollinator pathway conference that the bacillus in the bits only targets mosquitoes and some flies, not butterflies or any other drinkers. That’s good news.

A bird bath or a sipping station for the bees and butterflies is important to keep everyone happy.

Jean Waters of Leap Frog Farm in Guilford is active in the creation and maintenance of the Pollinator Pathway that includes 85 towns in Connecticut and New York. For more information on the pollinator pathway, visit www.pollinator-pathway.org/about.