INDIANAPOLIS — With warmer months ahead, mosquitoes are getting ready to make their homes in your yard.
For more than a decade, Crimson Pest Control Owner Terrance Lloyd has been fighting mosquitoes across Indy.
"You want to look around your house and make sure you don't have things, tires where the water can settle. Something as small as an old pottery. You may not even know it, but they can find that and make a nest and breed right there by the front door," Lloyd said.
He says taking a good look around your home can make all the difference.
"Don't fall into the scare tactic. Yes, mosquitoes carry diseases, such as West Nile and Malaria. If we do what we're supposed to do, we can keep them from spreading that here in our area," Lloyd said.
"In Indiana, there are two main diseases that you have to really look out for, which is West Nile virus, as well as dengue. And in Indiana, it's not something that's transmitted locally," Dr. Akilah Stewart, with Indiana University School of Medicine, said.
Dr. Stewart said there has been a spike in dengue fever cases in the U.S. as folks prepare to travel. She said to stay vigilant.
"You should really follow local guidelines, which include wearing some kind of insect repellent, usually EPA-approved. If you look at your bottles, they usually tell you if it's EPA approved, and those will have things like DEET in them and other chemicals that are safe for humans," Dr. Stewart said. "You should also wear loose clothes because mosquitoes can pierce through your clothes if you have tight clothing on, and light-colored clothing is also a good idea. You should also avoid swampy or wetland areas."
"People don't know what a mosquito egg looks like. They don't know what a mosquito looks like. They know it's a flying thing, but could call 10 different things mosquitoes. It's very important to be self-aware," Dr. Stewart said.
Dr. Stewart encourages Hoosiers to check the Department of Health often during the next couple of months to stay on top of what's happening when it comes to mosquito-borne illnesses.
