Joy Onuorah

You can reduce the risk of mosquito bites by preventing mosquitoes from breeding around your home by following these tips:

• Clean up your yard and remove anything where water can collect, such as unused pots and tyres.
• Cover or overturn trailers, wheelbarrows, boats, tools and children’s playground toys to avoid water collection.
• Keep gutters and drains clean so water runs freely.
• Mend leaking taps.
• Change pet drinking bowls, bird baths and vase waters at least once a week, and more regularly in very warm weather.
• Put sand around the base of pot plants.
• Keep swimming pools well maintained or empty or securely covered if not in use.
• Keep fish ponds tidy with minimal vegetation around the edges.
• Keep lawns and gardens trimmed back to reduce the areas where mosquitoes rest.
• Check water tanks for gaps around lids, covers and inlet pipes. Fit a removable screen mesh to the outlet end of overflow pipes and to all water inlets if needed.
• Make sure any water collection containers have secure lids or screens.