​No Mosquito, No Zika

(ZIZ News) — Chief Environmental Health Officer, Alexander Riley is urging everyone to do all they can to get rid of potential mosquito breeding sites around the home.

During this week’s edition of “The Round Table”, focusing on the Zika virus, Riley said household breeding areas can increase the mosquito population at a serious rate.

“The life cycle of this mosquito is 7 to 10 days so in 7 to 10 days if you have water collecting in your yard you can have mosquito breeding. Now this mosquito can live up to four to six weeks and within this four to six weeks, once it gets a blood meal every three to four days than it can lay up to 300 eggs. Imagine having 300 eggs hatching and then those 300 mosquitoes laying 300 eggs. Very, very, serious,” he said.

He said everyone should carefully check all areas of their homes for anything that can collect water and allow mosquitoes to breed.

Riley noted that “One of the most peculiar areas you can find it is in your dish-rack; the water holder under the dish rack. Many people don’t look into that for mosquito breeding. Most of the time you’d find that mosquito breeding in your house and you don’t know exactly where they’re breeding so that’s another area you can look for to find mosquito breeding.”

He added that some refrigerators have a drip pan in the bottom which is another area that can allow mosquito breeding.

Riley said while his department will do its part to monitor public health and institute measures such as fogging, it’s up to the general public to inspect their homes and get rid of potential mosquito breeding sites.