INDIANAPOLIS — Winter's end is right around the corner, that means warmer weather and, eventually, the start of mosquito season.
Four people died from the West Nile Virus in Indiana last year, and RTV6 has looked at all you need to know to keep your house mosquito free.
Mosquitos only need a little bit of water to breed. Which is why the Marion County Health Department said steps can be taken now to stop the mosquito life cycle before it starts.
"Many things can come from mosquitoes that are dangerous," a spokesman for the Health Department said.
The spokesman said that people should empty and scrub, then turn over and cover anything that can hold water. For example old tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, bird baths, flower pots, and trash containers. He also added that it was essential for residents to clean their gutters at least once a week.
Mosquito season gets going in May.
"They just seem to be out a lot in the summer," James Chi, who has a home that backs up right against a body of water called 'Bacon Swamp,' said. "In the woods, in the back, the mosquitoes can get pretty – ya know."
Chi knows the real dangers that mosquitoes can bring. He said one of his friends contracted the West Nile virus several years ago.
"He was out of work, probably, for like two or three months," Chi said.
Mosquitoes carrying West Nile were found in Marion County last year. In September, the Marion County Health Department reported the first death related to the disease since 2012.
"When the sun sets that’s when they really come out, and it gets really bad," Chi said.
People can combat the disease by staying indoors from dusk to dawn. If out, wear long sleeves and long pants, and use insect repellent that has DEET.
The health department will start spraying in May but does preventative measures in high-risk areas before then.
If you have a problem where you live, you can call Mosquito Control, or fill out a Mosquito Control Complaint form online, here.
