ROCKLAND COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DAY
THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017

Get free mosquito control products and speak to the experts

NEW CITY, NY - - Spring is here and so are mosquitoes! To help County residents reduce the number of mosquitoes on their property, Rockland County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert announce that Thursday, April 20th is Rockland County Mosquito Control Day.

Come to the Health Department at 50 Sanatorium Road, in Pomona from 4:30 to 6:30 PM. Follow signs along the roadway to direct you to the location. You will be able to get free mosquito control products, and have a chance to speak to the experts about reducing mosquitoes on your property and preventing mosquito bites!

Health Department staff will be giving out the following free mosquito control products, while supplies last:

• Fathead minnows - a type of fish that eat mosquito larvae before they become flying, biting adults. They can eat up to 200 mosquito larvae per day. The fish can be placed in unused swimming pools, ornamental ponds, and other similar areas that have a minimum of eight inches of water. Call (845) 364-3173 or visit http://bit.ly/2na0BSG to order the minnows by April 18th. The Health Department will provide the required permits to allow you to stock the fish within Rockland County. The fish will be in a sealed bag for transport. Please bring a bucket or small cooler.
• Mosquito Dunks® - small, donut-shaped objects that float on the water's surface and release bacteria that kill mosquitoes in their larval stage in water, before they become flying, biting adults. They are for use in closed or unused private swimming pools and spas, and are effective for approximately 30 days. A single dunk will treat an area of about 100 square feet. It is important to know the approximate dimensions of your pool/spa to ensure that you get the proper number of dunks for effective treatment.

"We encourage residents to take advantage of this opportunity to get free mosquito control products and information about mosquito prevention. Though mosquitoes are usually just thought of as an annoying pest, they can sometimes spread disease, such as West Nile Virus or Zika Virus. While Rockland has cases of West Nile Virus spread from local mosquitoes, the only cases of Zika to date in Rockland are from people who have traveled to areas where the Zika Virus is spreading," said Dr. Ruppert.

For more information visit https://rocklandgov.com/departments/health/environmental-health/mosquito-control/ or call the Health Department at (845) 364-3173.