Bird Baths SAFE MOSQUITO Get a Bad Rap CONTROL GUIDE By way of this report, the Sustainability Institute encourages Long Island consumers to seek out and ask for safer alternatives to chemicals to protect themselves from mosquitoes. Mosquito Why are Mosquitoes Prevention Many county governments and the Centers One common misconception a Health Issue? for Disease Control (CDC) recommend the is that bird baths are associat- following: ed with breeding mosquitos, Other Safe Ways to Mosquitoes can be more than just months, and only need a small puddle essentially turning your back- a nuisance. Several common species to breed several hundred larvae. Their • Remove standing water from chil- yard into a mosquito breed- (such as Culex and Aedes) can carry eggs hatch approximately five days dren’s toys stored outdoors, flower ing ground. This is not true, as Control Mosquitoes the West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine after they are laid, so if water is left pots, garbage cans, old tires, or any- thing that collects water. long as you keep debris from Encephalitis and other diseases that standing longer than that it can pro- piling up in the bath and keep For Large Yards or Parks impact humans. West Nile Virus can vide a breeding ground for multiple • Make sure gutters drain properly and it filled with fresh water, mos- produce mild flu-like symptoms or generations of mosquitoes. Female keep gutters free of debris. quitoes will not seek this out more serious manifestations that mosquitoes seek blood to fuel their The Mosquito Magnet® The Rush Hampton Mosquito as a place to breed. So keep can be fatal. West Nile Virus first egg production. • Keep swimming pools chlorinated and The Mosquito Magnet® is a pat- Catcher® covers free of stagnant water. your bird baths clean and ented device that works by releasing a appeared on Long Island in 1999. It Some mosquito species fly only We have gotten very positive ready for birds to enjoy. continuous stream of carbon dioxide has since become endemic across a few hundred feet from where they • Install window and door screens and feedback about the Rush Hampton (CO2) to draw mosquitoes to the trap. the U.S., causing 1,131 fatalities in a breed while others can fly for miles. keep in good repair. With patented “Counterflow™” tech- Mosquito Catcher from some trusted decade. Given such a large area of impact nology, mosquitoes are vacuumed sources. The catcher is an electric Here on Long Island, mosqui- we must protect ourselves through • Keep bird baths clean with fresh water into a net where they dehydrate and device that does not use propane. toes are a perennial problem. They preventative measures and repellents. and clear of debris. die. The device can also be used with Therefore, it does not release any ad- breed in pools of standing water, and This report includes information • Wear long sleeves, pants, and scientifically proven attractant scents ditional CO2 into the atmosphere. populations can increase dramatically about safer ways to protect yourself such as octenol for added efficacy. mosquito repellent (always follow This product can be purchased after consistent rains. Mosquitoes and your family from mosquitoes. It is sold at Home Depot and directio ns) when outdoors especially from online retailers like Amazon for can live from two weeks to several at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes Lowes. Be mindful that is is an expen- around $90. sive product, with prices ranging over are particularly active. $500, depending on the retailer. The Sustainability The Sustainability Institute also recommends : Institute was created to catalyze Long Island to Reporting derelict swimming pools espe- cially those with dirty water (such as those become a national leader on foreclosed properties) to your respec- in developing, promot- tive County: ing, and implementing Nassau County Department of Public Works 516-572-1166 or NC Health Depart- sustainable solutions ment Mosquito Surveillance 516-572-1211. to environmental and Suffolk County Mosquito Control quality-of-life challenges. 631- 852-4270. Homeowners with backyard ponds should For further keep water aerated and moving, stock pond with fish that eat mosquito larvae, information please call Some organic landscapers provide professional applications of garlic and construct ponds with steep walls giv- 516.323.4510 ing less shelter to larvae. juice or other natural repellents. Please check with your landscaper, or or email [email protected] visit our website for a list at molloy.edu/si As detailed within this report, choose natural repellents that are safer for you There are non-toxic Recommended alternatives for personal repellents. Personal Keep Backyards Repellents Mosquito-Free Naturally The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recom- o one wants uninvited guests in have, for several years, recommended the their yard - especially mosquitoes. use of garlic juice as a way to rid yards mended a bio- chemical product, NYour yard should be your sanctu- of mosquitoes so that people can enjoy ary, where your children play and your backyard barbecues and other activities. oil of the Lemon Eucalyptus pets romp. But, how can you keep your This recommendation was based on ef- tree (Eucalyptus Citriodora) as yard chemical free and non-toxic while ficacy study results and positive feedback a mosquito repellent to help eliminating mosquitoes? from many Long Islanders who found avoid bites of disease carrying Two alternative are Garlic Barrier® garlic juice very effective. mosquitoes. and Mosquito Barrier® produced by Two products we recommend are Availability of Lemon Eucalyptus Garlic Research Labs in California. These Garlic Barrier® and Mosquito Barrier® (see According to the products have been proven effective in below), which can be difficult to find at USE HUDSON AND SOLO Environmental Personal Repellants several tests including one by the Divi- local stores, however it is worth the effort PUMP TYPE SPRAYERS FOR Protection Agency sion of Malaria Control in Kenya, which to find them. They are easy to apply, non- BEST RESULTS (EPA): showed that Mosquito Barrier is effective toxic and effective. against both Anopheles and Culex adult The application process requires m sprayer. The product can be Eucalyptus oil Is an extract In light of the growing interest in non-toxic mosquito repellents, especially among mosquitoes. a basic pump sprayer (two common sprayed on all of the trees and bushes in from the leaves and twigs of parents of young children, The Sustainability Institute at Molloy College researched The staff of the Sustainability Institute brands are Hudson and Solo) or hose-end the area and should be sprayed onto both Eucalyptus Citriodora also the availability of Lemon Eucalyptus personal repellents at Long Island retail stores. sides of the leaves. Particular attention known as Corymbia Citriodora. should be given to greenery around the The pesticide products using perimeter of the property. he product availability survey found three different brands of personal repellents that contain oil of lemon eucalyptus were The treatment should last for about the active ingredient recommended by the CDC. Two of the products are: Repel® Lemon Euca- registered in 2000 to repel two weeks, but remember that the more lyptus and Cutter® Lemon Eucalyptus. Both are carried online but Repel® is found in Target and There are non-toxic mosquitoes and deer ticks. T alternatives for often it rains the more frequently you will Walmart stores. need to re-apply the treatment. The third repellent is found primarily at health food stores. It is: Kiss My Face® Swy Flotter. The cost repelling mosquitoes There are several products now If you have an event planned, apply- of these items ranges from $6 to $10 for a 4 oz spray bottle. from the yard. registered both as lotion and ing the product a few days before should The good news is that the products are available if you know what to search for and where to look. provide the best results. spray formulations. As with However, the bad news is that the availability of the products is inconsistent and many people may It is very common for people to ask if most plant oils, no adverse discover that the natural repellents are a challenge to find. Fortunately, these products are also avail- the yard will smell like garlic. Generally, effects to humans are expected able on the internet at well-known sites such as Amazon.com. from the use of oil of lemon eu- The websites for Repel and Cutter do not sell the products and instead send people to a list of humans only notice the smell for a few calyptus products when label chain stores, which our survey found, often don’t carry the products. hours after application. Mosquitoes, how- directions are followed. Our survey of more than 50 Long Island stores found that either the Repel® Lemon Eucalyptus ever, have a very powerful sense of smell product was available at most Target stores, that were likely to carry the products, but only a few and find it overpowering, which causes Products contain a range of Walmart stores on Long Island actually carry the products despite both chains being listed on manu- them to head in another direction. 30 to 40 percent of the active facturers’ websites as selling the products. Some health food stores sell Kiss My Face® Swy Flotter. ingredient. As informed consumers, Long Islanders can use our dollars to increase supply and placement of these products by asking store managers to stock their shelves with these less toxic products. Garlic Barrier® and/or Mosquito Barrier® are available at: • Greener Country at www.greenercountry.com (631-319-6588) Note: there are other alternatives available at health food stores that are often made with citronella and • Marders Nursery in Bridgehampton, NY (631-537-3700) other essential oils such as geraniol.