Today, June 19, 2008 the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Board of Commissioners, and County Manager, declared the week of June 22 through June 28, 2008 "Mosquito Control Awareness Week" in conjunction with the twelfth annual "National Mosquito Control Awareness Week" by the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA). The AMCA, an international organization of nearly 2,000 public health professionals, has been dedicated to preserving the public's health and well-being through safe, environmentally sound mosquito control programs since 1935. To demonstrate the County's commitment to Mosquito Control issues and service to residents, Mosquito Control Professionals from the Public Works Department will be on-hand in the Stephen P. Clark Center during this time to provide information on the mosquito life cycle and tips on how to eliminate mosquito egg-laying sites around homes to help citizens reduce the numbers of mosquitoes in their own neighborhoods.

The Mosquito Control Division of the Miami-Dade County Public Works Department conducts inspections of known breeding areas, and when necessary will use truck-mounted sprayers and aircraft to control adult mosquitoes. On site inspections are also conducted on an as needed basis to find and eliminate mosquitoes on residential properties. Mosquito control services are available free of cost to all residents of Miami-Dade County.

To help prevent mosquitoes from breeding, homeowners are advised to inspect their yards and destroy or dispose of tin cans, old tires, buckets, unused plastic swimming pools or other containers that collect and can hold standing water, which promotes breeding. Residents should also flush bromeliads weekly, repair leaky pipes and maintain roof gutters, as these are all potential mosquito breeding locations.

The best protection from mosquito-transmitted diseases such as West Nile Virus, is avoiding exposure to mosquito bites. Experts suggest that citizens keep doors and windows closed, stay indoors at dusk and dawn, and wear long-sleeved clothing when in a known mosquito infested area. Insect repellents containing DEET should also be applied sparingly to clothing and skin.  REMEMBER the 5 D's: Drainage, DEET, Dress, Dusk and Dawn.

Any Miami-Dade County resident experiencing a mosquito nuisance should call the County's 311 call center.  Hours of operation are Monday through Fridays from 6 am to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8 am to 8 pm.   More information is also available at http://www.miamidade.gov/pubworks.

For more information on local events during "Mosquito Week", please call the local media contact above.   For more information on the AMCA, please contact Joe Conlon, AMCA Technical Advisor at amcata@bellsouth.net.

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The above information is subject to change if the contractor's schedule is altered due to unexpected circumstances.