Asian tiger mosquito. Photo from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Updated Oct. 15, 2018

The Hyde County Health Department has received Mosquito Dunks®, a floating sustained-release larvicide for long-term control of mosquito larvae, for distribution to residents with standing water in their yards. These free dunks will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

Several are available at the Ocracoke Garden Center with a limit of five to a family.

The health department reminds residents about ways to protect yourselves from mosquito-borne illnesses:

  1. Reducing your time outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk
  2. Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts
  3. Apply mosquito repellent to exposed skin areas.
  4. Use products containing DEET, but do not use products on babies younger than 2 months old.
  5. Do not use products with greater than 30 percent DEET on children.
  6. If you choose to avoid DEET containing chemicals and desire natural forms of repellent, CDC recommends repellents with oil of lemon eucalyptus or 2 percent soybean oil.
  7. Always read the product label before applying any insect repellent and follow label directions.

For more information, call the department at (252) 926-4399.

En espagnole:

El Departamento del Condado Hyde actualmente tiene a Mosquito Dunks, una sustancia larvicida de liberacion flotante sostenida para el control a largo plazo de la larva del mosquito, para la gente que tiene agua encharcada en sus yardas. Dunks se proveera por orden de pedido, y sera gratis.

Recuerde, los pasos a seguir para protegerse contra las enfermedades causadas por los mosquitos son:

  1. Reducir el tiempo fuera de su casa, especialmente al amanecer y al obscurecer
  2. Usar pantalones largos y camisas de manga larga
  3. Aplicar repelente para mosquitos en las areas expuestas de la piel.
  4. Use productos que contengan DEET, sin embargo no use estos productos en los bebes menores de 2 meses de edad.
  5. No use productos con mas de 30% DEET en niños.
  6. Si usted desea evitar los quimicos que contengan DEET y desea formas “naturales” de repelentes,CDC recomienda repelentes con aceite de limon,eucalipto o 2% de aceite de soya.
  7. Siempre lea las etiquetas del producto antes de aplicarse cualquier repelente de insectos, y siga las instrucciones del envase.
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