Mosquito Safety Tips
There have been a number of confirmed cases of West Nile Virus in Fort Worth.
Here are a few important steps you can make to reduce the spread of
mosquitoes around your home and yard.
MOSQUITO PROOF YOUR HOME
Adult flying mosquitoes frequently rest in grass, shrubbery or other foliage. It is the young
mosquitoes that need standing water to develop. Eliminating places where mosquitoes can lay
eggs is the best way to control the pests.
• Get rid of old tires, buckets or any containers that hold standing water, or empty them
regularly.
• Empty plastic wading pools daily and store them indoors or upside down when they’re not
in use.
• Change water in birdbaths and scrub them often.
• Empty pets’ watering pans daily.
• Clean clogged roof gutters.
• Treat standing water that can’t be drained with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Bti is
available at most hardware or garden stores.
AVOID MOSQUITO BITES
To prevent mosquito bites, which are how mosquito-borne diseases are spread, remember the
four D’s:
• Stay indoors at Dusk and Dawn, when infected mosquitoes are most active.
• Dress in long sleeves and pants when you’re outside.
• Use insect repellent that contains DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide).
• Drain standing water in your yard and around your house.
Download this flyer for additional information.