What can I do to protect my family?
The mosquito that bit you last night may have hatched right in your own backyard! Look for places where rainwater collects and stands. Mosquitoes also hide in heavy grass or other vegetation.
Potential sources for mosquitoes:
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 Tires
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Storm Sewers |
Pails and Buckets |
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Tanks |
Flower pots |
 Cans/bottles
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Gutters |
Bird Baths |
Wading pools |
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Boats (uncovered) |
Children's Toys |
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55 gallon drums |
Swimming Pools |
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Helpful Hints for the Property Owner
Quick Preventive Measures:
- Get rid of any unneeded objects collecting water
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- Change water in pet's water bowls daily
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- Remove old automobile tires
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- Cover or overturn objects that hold water weekly
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- Change water in bird bath
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Items that can't be covered should be flushed or drained at least TWICE WEEKLY to prevent mosquitoes from hatching. An adult mosquito, under ideal conditions, can emerge from an egg within 6 days. Fill holes and depressions where you find standing water.
Do your part by removing or treating areas around your house where mosquitoes may be breeding. |
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How can I protect myself?
Most mosquitoes are active at dusk and just before dawn. During the day mosquitoes rest in areas that are shady, humid and sheltered from the wind. The best form of protection would be avoid outdoor activity after dusk and just before dawn.
If you are outside during this time, you can protect yourself by wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants that are loose fitting so mosquitoes can't bite through, and applying a mosquito repellant to exposed body areas. Light colored clothes are less attractive to mosquitoes. Also consider repellant to exposed areas.
There are a variety of insect repellants that can be used. The most effective repellants contain the ingredient DEET. DEET is the common name for the chemical N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide. Look for this ingredient listed as the active ingredient on the label. Be sure to follow label instructions for applying.
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Protect yourself from mosquito bites by using insect repellents that contain DEET (the chemical N-N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), picaridin (KBR 3023), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane 3,8-diol). Caution: Always apply insect repellents in accordance to manufacturer’s instructions. |
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Apply insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. Repellents can contain as much as 20% to 35% DEET. Avoid products containing more than 10% DEET for children. |
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Insect repellants should not be applied to very young children (less than 3 years old). Repellents may irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to the hands of children. |
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Spray clothing with repellents containing DEET. Mosquitoes bite through thin clothing. |
Whenever you use an insecticide or insect repellent, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer's DIRECTIONS FOR USE, as printed on the product.
If you are going to spend time in your yard and patio areas after dusk consider:
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using citronella candles or torches around outdoor activities, especially if there is little air movement. |
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planting citrosia plants (commonly known as the "mosquito plant") in areas to help repel mosquitoes, |
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using Gambusia fish ("mosquito fish") in small ornamental ponds to eat larvae. |
The best way to control mosquitoes is to eliminate the water from places and objects in which they can develop.
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What does Vector Control do to help control mosquito breeding?
The primary methods used by the Health Department's Vector Control Section to decrease the number of mosquitoes are laval habitat reduction and modification, larviciding, biological control and adulticiding.
Mosquito Larva
Mosquito Control personnel remove debris from creeks, ditches, and culverts to allow water to flow freely thus eliminating stagnant water. Inspectors enforce ordinances and regulations that helps larval habitats. Educational materials and speakers are available to help inform the public as to how to eliminate mosquito habitats.
When larval habitats cannot be eliminated and modified, Mosquito Control technicians apply mirobical insecticides such as Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israeliensis), or larvicidal oils to the larval habitat.
Mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) can eat 100 to 500 larvae per day. They are used in ponds, cisterns, irrigated fields and marshy areas. The Health Department provides mosquito fish to the public for use in their garden pools and small ponds.
Only insecticides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are used to adulticide. This is accomplished by dispensing small amounts of concentrated insecticides applied by ultra-low-volume (ULV) sprayers in trucks after dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
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Can mosquitoes carry disease?
Mosquitoes can be pests and often interfere with the quality of life. Most important, mosquitoes are known carriers of diseases to humans. Locally, the more severe human diseases transmitted by mosquitoes are St. Louis Encephalitis, Western Equine Encephalitis, and possible West Nile Encephalitis. These viruses are transmitted by mosquitoes and can be fatal to humans and other animals.
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What is being done to prevent diseases transmitted by mosquitoes?
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WHAT WE DO TO HELP PROTECT YOU and YOUR FAMILY!
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Treat approximately 19,000 linear miles of ditches for mosquito larvae throughout Memphis and Shelby County. |
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Remove approximately 150 tons of debris from ditches throughout Memphis and Shelby County during the winter months. |
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Use approximately 1,666 gallons of larviciding oil to treat standing water throughout Shelby County. |
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Larvicide ditches and catch basins in all ten zones at least three times per month during mosquito season, to reduce the number of mosquitoes in Memphis and Shelby County. |
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Approximately 90 gallons of Bti, a microbial insecticide, are used throughout Memphis and Shelby County to reduce the mosquito population. |
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Adulticiding operations are performed in targeted areas when infected or high numbers of mosquitoes are found. |
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Test approximately 1,500 sentinel chickens annually for St Louis Encephalitis. |
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Conduct approximately 7,100 door-to-door inspections annually during the winter months checking for possible breeding of mosquitoes. |
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Investigate approximately 700 citizen mosquito complaints annually. |
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Conduct over 550 commercial and industrial inspections for mosquitoes. |
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Information is available regarding vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, St. Louis Encephalitis, and West Nile virus as well as zoonotic diseases such as Hantavirus. Community Outreach and Public Education specialists are available for presentations to schools and other civic groups. For more information contact the Memphis and Shelby County Vector Control Section at (901) 324-5547.
Additional Resources
Center for Disease Control
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How Is Mosquito Surveillance conducted?
The Memphis & Shelby County Health Department's Mosquito Control Program has a very intensive surveillance program. Surveillance utilizes a variety of specialized techniques and equipment unique to arboviral disease prevention programs. Surveillance involves data collection generated by the trapping, processing and testing of mosquitoes.
Health Department employees conduct surveillance to locate the larval habitats of mosquitoes and attempt to solve mosquito problems through water management, habitat elimination or modification, utilization of mosquito-eating fish and larvicide applications to control mosquitoes. Environmentally compatible larvicides are used to eliminate only the mosquitoes and leave the other non-target organisms. Light traps are utilized to monitor mosquito populations and collect mosquitoes for testing for West Nile Virus. Sentinel chicken flocks are used to monitor and St. Louis Encephalitis disease activity. When adult mosquito populations are high or infected mosquitoes are found adulticing operations are conducted to lower adult mosquito populations and, thereby, reduce the public health threat.
The Health Department has thirteen ultra-low-volume (ULV) machines used to control adult mosquitoes in Memphis and Shelby County when surveillance techniques dictate.
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What types of surveys are conducted?
Larval Surveys
Vector Control technicians locate, classify, and map detailed information on hundreds of larval habitats county-wide. Each site is coded and classified based on characteristics of the habitat and identified by the coordinates on the county map. This information provides an overview of the locations and densities of important pest and vector species. This data is used to create larviciding schedules.
Adult Mosquito Surveys
The number and abundance of mosquito species is estimated by surveys of the mosquito adult population. This is accomplished by collecting mosquitoes at strategically located sampling stations throughout the county using CDC light and female gravid traps, specially designed to attract and capture adult vector (i.e. Culex) mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are identified, processed and shipped to the Tennessee Department of Health Laboratory for arboviral testing.
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What is Arboviral Surveillance?
Sentinel Chickens
The section relies on monitoring the level of St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) antibodies in sentinel chickens as an "early warning" system of an outbreak of this disease. Chickens are placed in coops (10 chickens per coop) at 15 different areas.
They are bled every week or two. If chickens produce antibodies to the virus this is an indication that they were bitten by infected mosquitoes.
Sentinel chickens have an advantage over dead bird surveillance in that the specific geographic location of infection is definitely known, whereas dead birds could have been infected somewhere else and flown to the location where they died.
Wild Birds
Dead Crows and Blue Jays
In 1999 West Nile virus was responsible for a significant number of dead birds, especially crows and Blue Jays, in New York City and in surrounding areas. The Health Department works with the Memphis Zoo and various bird watcher clubs and associations in reporting dead crows and Blue Jays to Vector Control at (901) 324-5540. Citizens are encouraged to report dead crow or dead Blue Jay sightings to Vector Control.
Dead handling procedures
The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department no longer conducts testing of dead birds for West Nile virus.
If you find a dead bird in your yard, you may dispose of by the method described below. Note: dead birds cannot infect humans with West Nile virus.
- Use plastic bags or disposable gloves to pick up the bird.
- Put the bird in a sealable plastic bag and close it tightly.
- Dispose of the bagged bird in an outdoor trash container for curbside pickup.
- Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the bird.
Call Vector (901) 324-5547 if you have any questions about disposing of dead birds.
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Why do mosquitoes bite?
Female mosquitoes are the ones that bite. A "blood meal" is required in order to develop eggs which when hatched make more mosquitoes. 24 hours or so after hatching, a female mosquito flies off in search of a meal. She homes in on body odor, moisture, warmth, and the carbon dioxide we exhale. When she bites, she injects a bit of saliva that slows coagulation so blood flows freely. Your body's allergic reaction to the saliva is what causes the welt and the itch later on.
In the female's quest for blood, besides biting us, mosquitoes may bite birds, frogs, snakes and mammals. Often mosquitoes live and breed around homes just to be near us. We are not the only targets for mosquitoes around our homes. Mosquitoes also transmit heartworm, fatal to dogs and cats once contracted. Pet owners can purchase a preventive medicine from a veterinarian.
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Life cycle of the mosquito
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For More information Please Call Vector Control at (901) 324-5547 Or email the office at vector@co.shelby.tn.us.
