Mosquito Prevention

The MCS carries out tens of thousands of interventions a year against mosquito larvae both in natural and rural environments and in urban areas. However, many of the breeding sites are on private property, where MCS staff can hardly access. This is where citizens can act to try to neutralize them definitively.

Mosquitoes are fought around the world by disseminating information, education, resources and help to citizens. For this reason, theMCS has carried out social action campaigns that include educational actions in schools, publication of documentation, collective talks and advertising impacts. Below we indicate the actions that must be taken if we want to avoid the breeding of mosquitoes.

What to do in our house:

You should avoid having stagnant water at home, it is that simple, although to put it into practice you must be very constant. The first beneficiaries will be ourselves and of course the entire neighborhood.

1. You should look for containers, jars, abandoned objects, drains, small cisterns, plates or ashtrays outside the house. If you continue reading you will find many images of examples of risk elements.

2. Once found, it is necessary to empty the water, whether there appear to be larvae or not. Simply empty them onto the ground or grass: the larvae will quickly die.

3. Afterwards, it is necessary that they cannot be filled with water again. It is almost always enough to turn the containers upside down. In some cases, such as tire covers, they can become punctured. If they are not essential, it is a good idea to recycle them or bring them indoors.

4. Doing all this once is not enough. You cannot let your guard down: the mosquito is always waiting for the slightest opportunity. It is advisable to periodically review our home, and have the neighborhood do the same.

If we eliminate all the breeding sites, in a short time the adult mosquitoes that bite us will have greatly decreased. If you watch this video you will get an idea of ​​how, unintentionally, we give them everything they need near our house.

_{Different objects. MCS files}

Various containers more or less abandoned

There is always a corner where certain junk and objects of all kinds accumulate such as pots, plates, jars, toys, vases, etc. They are often found hidden among peripheral vegetation where it is very difficult to see them. By not keeping in mind that they will fill with water when it rains or the area is irrigated, we do not worry that they could become a problem, but they are often the cause of large numbers of mosquitoes.

Solution: Dismantle the pile of objects, empty them one by one, select those that can be outdoors, store them organized and face down, recycle the rest and monitor it every week. In fact, it is often not necessary to accumulate these types of objects that end up rarely being used.

Abandoned Laundry

Laundries are often no longer used and are left abandoned with dirty and clogged drains. Furthermore, they are usually found in places where people do not usually go and with accesses that are rarely used. If the faucet drips or is uncovered, it accumulates water that becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes. As they are often found on rooftops, patios or galleries, they are very close to people or at least to neighboring homes.

Solution: Eliminate them if they are not used or repair the leaking drain or faucet.

_{Drain. MCS files}

Patio or pool drain

Most of these elements have a siphon underneath, which collects water to prevent bad odors from reaching us from the sewer or rainwater network. Unfortunately, water also becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes, especially due to accumulated dirt and poor water circulation.

Solution: Run the water once a week, and keep the drain clean of leaves and dirt.

Outdoor plants with water

_{Cemetery flowers. MCS files}A whole series of plants and cut flowers that we can have on our terrace or patio, they very often have a container with water in order to keep them. This water remains for days in the summer and this is the reason why some mosquitoes such as Aedes albopictus are so comfortable in these containers. Cemeteries have become a space where due to the large number of containers of this type there can be a good amount of mosquitoes.

Solution: Empty and replace the water weekly, use vases that do not allow mosquitoes to access the water, or keep the vegetable plants in moisturizing ice instead of free water. In cemeteries, use wet sand in the vase without leaving water on top.

Commonly used objects

Sometimes it is enough not to use the watering can for a week for tiger mosquitoes to breed inside. There is always some water left after using a watering can.

Solution: Store it upside down, or indoors and not in the garden; make sure it's empty when we save it.

_{Tree holes. MCS files}

Tree holes

This may be less common in private gardens than on public roads, but it doesn't hurt to check if we have trees of a certain age, especially Platanus (London plane). There are also ornamental trees such as olive trees that have hollow trunks that will allow mosquitoes to breed.

Solution: Apply or have tree surgery measures applied by the relevant administration to drain the hole, or refill it with suitable inert material.

Abandoned pots

When they are not kept inverted, and despite the existence of the drainage hole, they fill with water very easily.

Solution: Store them upside down.

Trays and other gardening objects

The object of the image is an ideal place for mosquitoes both common mosquito and tiger mosquito. A tray can hold hundreds of larvae of which each day some will become biting adults.

Solution: Do not keep trays with water and if we must have them, keep them upside down and empty.

Roof drainage systems

Watch out for these elements. Mosquito larvae can not only breed in the siphon or connection to the sewer that we see on the floor. If the horizontal gutter of the roof is obstructed by leaves, soil, tile remains and various objects, it can become an ideal breeding place, far from our reach and rarely thought of.

Solution: Periodic inspection, especially after rainy weather, removing all accumulated dirt.

Drums

This is one of the biggest problems facing MCS. Some citizens collect rainwater to irrigate in these drums. This ALWAYS becomes a breeding ground for highly dangerous mosquitoes.

Solution: Do not use them. If they are essential, cover them permanently with their lid, and empty them completely every week.

Rural water management structures rurals

These points that are in the public domain are strictly controlled by the MCS, which has easy access. If you know of any on private property, you must notify the authorities of their presence.

Flooded basement

Some buildings may have an uninhabitable basement, called a sanitary chamber. If there is a flood due to the water table or broken water pipes, there will be a large mosquito problem.

Solution: Strictly urban planning, through repair and proper maintenance of the building.

Poorly maintained swimming pools

Well maintained pools will never be a problem. If they are abandoned or maintenance is non-existent, mosquitoes can appear in the part that remains with water, either in the main body or in the different drains.

Solution: Don't empty the pools, because no matter how little it rains, some water will accumulate and be enough to cause the problem. Always keep them in good condition and treat the water all year round.

Dishes under pots

It is very common to leave dishes under the pots to improve the hydration of our plants. However, you have to think that this bit of water is one of the tiger mosquito's favorite breeding spots, especially if there are a lot of them. Often doing this is not necessary or at all, it is not necessary to fill the water in the dish every day.

Solution: Do not use them. If they are used, the water will need to be completely emptied every seven days.

Public recommendation guides

_{DIBA recommendations}Canal Salut Gencat common mosqiuto

Canal Salut Gencat tiger mosquito

Diputació de Barcelona

Very clear video of what to do to prevent the tiger mosquito problem at home. It can be applied to all mosquitoes, for example common mosquito, which breed in our homes especially in yards and gardens.