How to Cut Down on Mosquitoes
2022-08-23
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1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
2Almost everyone who spends time outdoors has experienced mosquitoes.
3These bloodsucking insects give itchy bites and can spread disease.
4Mosquitoes can spread viruses like West Nile, Zika, dengue and malaria.
5A 2021 report from the World Health Organization estimated that in 2020 there were 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deaths worldwide.
6But there are things people can do to cut down on mosquitoes.
7You can make it harder for them to reproduce. And you can protect yourself.
8Jessica Damiano is a gardening expert.
9She writes about outdoor living for the Associated Press.
10In a recent story, Damiano said the best control is prevention.
11In that story, she gave suggestions on how to cut mosquito populations where you live.
12It may seem difficult to avoid mosquitoes.
13Some areas of the world are densely populated with them.
14People who live near bodies of water may experience more mosquitoes.
15But there are several measures you can take to reduce their numbers.
16Mosquitoes need less than a centimeter of water to lay eggs.
17A female can lay hundreds of eggs at a time.
18So, check your property for standing water.
19Water can easily collect in small containers - a child's toy, a trash can lid, or a cooking pot.
20Get rid of standing water, even if the amount seems small.
21Make holes in the bottoms of containers that can hold unwanted water.
22Other sources of water such as in ponds and bird baths can be treated with chemicals.
23Damiano suggests a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or Bti for short.
24The bacterium is a safe and effective way to kill mosquito larvae.
25Several kinds of Bti are available. Each target different insects. So be sure to buy the one to target mosquitoes.
26Bti also comes in several forms, including ring-shaped products called "Mosquito Dunks."
27These rings float in water and offer 30 days of protection.
28Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say mosquito dunks "...will not harm people, pets and other animals," and other insects, including honeybees.
29You also can make your own mosquito trap.
30Put a handful of straw, hay, or grass cuttings into a dark-colored container filled with water.
31Let it sit for one to two days.
32Then add one mosquito dunk.
33If you have many mosquitoes, place several containers around the area.
34Decomposing organic matter will attract the insects.
35They will lay eggs on the treated water.
36Every 30 days, change the water and add new chemicals to stop future generations of mosquitoes.
37Mosquitoes also like overgrown plants.
38Keep your yard organized. Do not let plants grow too tall.
39Running a fan at high speed will reduce mosquito activity.
40It works by simply blowing the insects away.
41Also, every time we breathe out, carbon dioxide from our breath attracts mosquitos.
42A fan can help get rid of our carbon dioxide quickly.
43Damiano suggests avoiding chemical poison sprays.
44These can threaten helpful insects.
45These chemicals, she warns, only control a small part of the adult mosquito population.
46Also, she said, insect poisons need to be used several times in a season to work effectively.
47Damiano says that so-called "mosquito plants" sold as mosquito repellents contain oils or chemicals that repel mosquitoes.
48But the plants do not keep mosquitoes away unless those chemical compounds are released, usually by crushing the leaves.
49Just having such a plant around will not help.
50Some studies claim that citronella and lemongrass oil may provide some protection.
51But Damiano thinks this has not yet been proven. They may simply hide human scent.
52There are other things you can do to protect yourself.
53Put screens in your doors and windows or keep them closed.
54Wear long clothing. And cut down on time spent outdoors between the early evening and the early morning.
55Mosquitoes are most active during that time.
56On the hunt to kill mosquitoes, you may ask yourself if they serve some purpose.
57Mosquitoes are pollinators, meaning they help some plants reproduce.
58And they are food for some animals, especially birds and bats.
59Also, some fish and turtles eat mosquito larvae.
60But Damiano says that getting rid of mosquitoes where you live will not harm the environment.
61And that's the Health & Lifestyle report.
62I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Jill Robbins.
1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. 2Almost everyone who spends time outdoors has experienced mosquitoes. These bloodsucking insects give itchy bites and can spread disease. 3Mosquitoes can spread viruses like West Nile, Zika, dengue and malaria. A 2021 report from the World Health Organization estimated that in 2020 there were 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deaths worldwide. 4But there are things people can do to cut down on mosquitoes. You can make it harder for them to reproduce. And you can protect yourself. 5Jessica Damiano is a gardening expert. She writes about outdoor living for the Associated Press. In a recent story, Damiano said the best control is prevention. In that story, she gave suggestions on how to cut mosquito populations where you live. 6It may seem difficult to avoid mosquitoes. Some areas of the world are densely populated with them. People who live near bodies of water may experience more mosquitoes. But there are several measures you can take to reduce their numbers. 7Mosquitoes need less than a centimeter of water to lay eggs. A female can lay hundreds of eggs at a time. So, check your property for standing water. Water can easily collect in small containers - a child's toy, a trash can lid, or a cooking pot. 8Get rid of standing water, even if the amount seems small. Make holes in the bottoms of containers that can hold unwanted water. 9Other sources of water such as in ponds and bird baths can be treated with chemicals. 10Damiano suggests a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or Bti for short. The bacterium is a safe and effective way to kill mosquito larvae. Several kinds of Bti are available. Each target different insects. So be sure to buy the one to target mosquitoes. 11Bti also comes in several forms, including ring-shaped products called "Mosquito Dunks." These rings float in water and offer 30 days of protection. Experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say mosquito dunks "...will not harm people, pets and other animals," and other insects, including honeybees. 12You also can make your own mosquito trap. Put a handful of straw, hay, or grass cuttings into a dark-colored container filled with water. Let it sit for one to two days. Then add one mosquito dunk. 13If you have many mosquitoes, place several containers around the area. Decomposing organic matter will attract the insects. They will lay eggs on the treated water. Every 30 days, change the water and add new chemicals to stop future generations of mosquitoes. 14Mosquitoes also like overgrown plants. Keep your yard organized. Do not let plants grow too tall. 15Running a fan at high speed will reduce mosquito activity. It works by simply blowing the insects away. Also, every time we breathe out, carbon dioxide from our breath attracts mosquitos. A fan can help get rid of our carbon dioxide quickly. 16Damiano suggests avoiding chemical poison sprays. These can threaten helpful insects. These chemicals, she warns, only control a small part of the adult mosquito population. Also, she said, insect poisons need to be used several times in a season to work effectively. 17Damiano says that so-called "mosquito plants" sold as mosquito repellents contain oils or chemicals that repel mosquitoes. But the plants do not keep mosquitoes away unless those chemical compounds are released, usually by crushing the leaves. Just having such a plant around will not help. 18Some studies claim that citronella and lemongrass oil may provide some protection. But Damiano thinks this has not yet been proven. They may simply hide human scent. 19There are other things you can do to protect yourself. Put screens in your doors and windows or keep them closed. Wear long clothing. And cut down on time spent outdoors between the early evening and the early morning. Mosquitoes are most active during that time. 20Are mosquitoes all bad? 21On the hunt to kill mosquitoes, you may ask yourself if they serve some purpose. Mosquitoes are pollinators, meaning they help some plants reproduce. And they are food for some animals, especially birds and bats. Also, some fish and turtles eat mosquito larvae. But Damiano says that getting rid of mosquitoes where you live will not harm the environment. 22And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. 23I'm Anna Matteo. And I'm Jill Robbins. 24Jessica Damiano reported this story for The Associated Press. Anna Matteo adapted her story for VOA Learning English. 25____________________________________________________________________ 26Words in This Story 27itchy - adj. a feeling of wanting to scratch or rub skin because of an unpleasant feeling on it 28larvae - n. a young wingless form (as a grub or caterpillar) of many insects that hatches from an egg 29decompose -v. the natural process of slowly breaking down into simpler materials 30attract -v. to cause something to come to a place 31spray - n. liquid that is forced out from a container to cover a small area 32repellent - n. a substance used to keep something away 33screen - n. a woven material that is held together by wood or metal on the sides which is placed in windows to prevent insects from entering 34pollinator - n. an animal, often an insect, that spreads pollen from plant to plant permitting plants to produce seeds 35__________________________________________________________________ 36We want to hear from you. Do you have a similar expressions in your language? In the Comments section, you can also practice using any of the expressions from the story. 37We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 38Write your comment in the box. 39Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. 40Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with "D" on it. It is free. 41Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.