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Survey: Americans Don't Follow CDC and Expert Advice
USAgNet - 04/29/2016

Despite recent news that Aedes aegypti, the mosquito that can carry Zika, Chikungunya and other viruses, has spread to 30 states, the majority of Americans have yet to embrace basic recommendations to help reduce the mosquito population at their own homes.

That's the result of a new survey fielded by TNS Global detailing homeowners' knowledge of steps to reduce mosquitoes in their yards. According to The Mosquito Squad Fight the Bite Report, nearly three quarters of Americans (74%) do not plan to modify their time outside this year due to mosquito activity, yet less than half (49%) follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation to use mosquito repellent and just a third (36%) remove standing water, a simple task also recommended by the CDC, to reduce mosquito breeding.

"Unlike Chikungunya and West Nile virus, Zika has been identified as a world health crisis and we must work together on personal, local and global levels to fight mosquitoes," said Scott Zide, president and COO of Outdoor Living Brands and co-founder of Mosquito Squad, the largest and most experienced home and commercial mosquito control firm in the country. "Removal of standing water is the most essential tactic in mosquito elimination yet homeowners aren't actively removing it, which is surprising given that mosquito concerns are so high."

According to Zide, just as surprising was the finding that 46 percent said they did not plan to do anything different in their yards, despite recent news of the Zika virus. Findings from the survey indicate that only 36 percent of Americans turn over toys or items in their yards that contain water. Less than half throw out lawn debris, under which mosquitoes can breed. And only a quarter of Americans shake out tarps, including BBQ and fire pit covers, to remove water that accumulates.

TIP over anything that holds or collects water. A bottle cap filled with water holds enough water for mosquitoes to breed. Since mosquitoes breed in standing water, the elimination of standing water decreases a mosquito's breeding ground. Mosquito Squad technicians report that yards with bird baths, play sets with tire swings, tree houses, portable fireplaces and pits and catch basins are the biggest offenders.


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