Dr. Wayne MacDonald, Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health, suggests steps that can be taken to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home. Roof gutters are easily overlooked but can produce millions of mosquitoes each season. A wading pool becomes a mosquito producer if it is not used on a regular basis. Both provide breeding habitat for domestic mosquitoes. Water gardens may become major mosquito producers if they are allowed to stagnate.
Mosquitoes can develop in any puddle that lasts more than four to eight days.
The West Nile virus was detected in the New York City area last year. Provincial health officials are currently developing a plan to ensure the early detection of the virus, should it make its way in the Atlantic region.