Mosquito Prevention

City of Schertz Environmental Health encourages residents to take preventative measures to protect themselves and their families from mosquito-spread diseases. Mosquitoes spread many types of viruses and parasites that can cause diseases like chikungunya, dengue, West Nile, Zika, and malaria. The public plays a vital role in protecting themselves and their community from mosquito-borne diseases.

Reducing the mosquito population and your risk of being bitten by them is the best way to prevent infection.  Follow these steps to protect yourself and those in your home:

Protect yourself, your family, and your community

• Dump standing water in and around your home by emptying and scrubbing all outdoor containers such as pools, toys, planters, birdbaths, and trash containers.
• Tightly cover water storage containers such as buckets, cisterns, and rain barrels so that mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs.
• Clean out gutters to avoid standing water. Examine gutters for damage that would cause water to collect.
• Inspect your yard after every rainfall and empty any containers or areas where water has collected. Also, watch for puddles where condensation gathers from the AC unit.
• Use screens on windows and doors and repair holes in the screens.
• Apply insect repellent anytime you’re outside. Use insect repellent with one of these active ingredients: DEET, Picaridin, or oil of lemon/eucalyptus or other EPA-approved repellent.

Additional Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
• American Mosquito Control Association