WOW!  More rain here in Central Texas today….and that is a bit of an understatement.  Work this morning was exciting, if a bit worrying.  We had everyone in the bathrooms for a period of time because we were under a tornado warning.  Fortunately, that didn’t last too long for us.  It was good bonding time.  After returning to my office, I discovered water seeping in through the wall and window.  I had to sop up the water and set up a barricade of old t-shirts.  Currently, it’s not raining so all is well for now.  Everyone, please be careful and stay safe!

With the all the rain, expect mosquitoes to pop out again.  When it comes to managing mosquitoes, remember the 4 D’s.

Female mosquito.

1. DRAIN- Drain all standing water. Check rain water collection systems (hopefully you have screening to block mosquitoes on your rainwater system), dishes under flower pots, pet dishes, buckets, tree holes and low lying areas in the yard. If you have areas of standing water that it is not possible to drain, try using mosquito dunks (active ingredient Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis).

2. DUSK & DAWN- Mosquitoes are most active during dusk and dawn, so try to avoid being outside during the peak times.

3. DRESS- Dress in light-colored clothing with long sleeves and long pants.

4. DEET- Wear some type of insect repellent. DEET is a common insect repellent for mosquitoes and works very well, but there are other options. Other active ingredients to look for are picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus. The Insects in the City blog has a great post on repellents.

Check out the Mosquito Safari website for more information on mosquitoes.