GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government department under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, is advising communities to regularly check their yards and be on alert for potential mosquito breeding sites.
The female vector Aedes Aegypti mosquito spreads mosquito borne diseases. The Aedes Aegypti mosquito is distinguished by its markings such as alternate black and white horizontal stripes.
Vectors are small organisms that carry serious diseases. Just one bite from an infected mosquito can be a threat to our way of living.
The Aedes Aegypti mosquito lays her eggs in clear (clean) stagnant water. Within eight days the mosquito can complete its life cycle from egg, to larvae to pupae and to adult mosquito.
Actively dispose of tin cans, old tires, empty paint cans, buckets, old saucers, flowerpots, cemetery urns/vase, old pet dishes, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and hold water.
Empty and turn over containers that hold water; remove debris from rain gutters and downspouts regularly; drain or fill low places on your property where water collects and stands for more than five to seven days; make sure permanent water containers in your yard are tightly covered and insect-proof.
Fix leaky pipes and outdoor faucets; cover trash containers/garbage cans to keep rainwater from accumulating; drain old tires by recycling them; keep boats and canoes/kayaks drained, covered or overturned.
CPS reminds the Sint Maarten that we are in the hurricane season, and every household and business must do its part in keeping the country mosquito-free.
During the hurricane season, weather systems such as tropical waves, storms and hurricanes bring rain, and if you have items in your yard and around your business which can collect water, that has the potential of becoming a mosquito breeding site.
Therefore, it is very important to check around your yard at home or around your business to make sure there is no clear/clean standing water after a rain event.
Keep Sint Maarten mosquito-free, and avoid mosquito bites.
