Chatham County Emergency Management Certified as Storm Ready

Chatham County : News & Updates : Chatham Emergency Management Certified as Storm Ready Posted on August 31, 2016

Mosquito Control Advice for Village Homeowners

According to Dr. Michael Waldvogel, Department of Entomology and Extension Associate. Professor & Specialist, Structural & Industrial Pests at North Carolina State University, to control the risk of mosquitoes in the community, there actually needs to be a community-wide education program emphasizing homeowner responsibility to inspect and control the great many breeding sources that exist and are largely ignored. 

 Small round mosquito dunks protect
up to 100 sq.ft. for up to 30 days
and can be broken into smaller pieces
for smaller areas. Not practical
 for very large areas.

Residents should be encouraged to keep mosquitoes from laying eggs inside and outside of our homes. Items in and around homes can collect water: 

Suggestions include: once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out containers that hold water, such as: 

⨀ vases, ⨀ pet water bowls,  ⨀ flowerpot saucers,  ⨀  rain barrels with open unscreened tops,  ⨀ buckets, tarps and outdoor furniture covers that sag and collect rainwater,  ⨀ birdbaths,  ⨀ trash cans, ⨀ wheelbarrows and garden carts left outside should be turned upside down, ⨀ and gutters and stormwater drains around the house should be inspected to be sure they are not holding any standing water.

Overall conclusions: 

• A community’s mosquito problems are proportional to the level of residents’ understanding that the large number of breeding sources in even small pools of standing water around (especially) new homes without developed lawns are one of the largest sources of the problem and, hence, prime areas for prevention and mitigation. Neighbors need to assume some direct responsibility for monitoring and controlling such sources.

• Paying attention to several large stormwater pools, where water may sit for short periods of time, is important, but is dwarfed by the much larger number of unrecognized breeding sources. 

Community Health Advisory

On July 30, 2016, a resident who went outside her home at 9:00pm to water a plant was bitten by a copperhead. She called for and received emergency medical attention and is recovering well.

During the summer months copperheads are more nocturnal. Residents who go outside in the dark should take a flashlight to see what is in front of them and be aware that snakes are not just in the wooded areas, but can be right in front of your house at night, especially on sidewalks and in, or around, bushes and shrubbery.

According to the North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service, copperheads can be found from the Florida panhandle north to Massachusetts and west to Nebraska, and they bite more people in most years than any other U.S. species of snake. Unlike most venomous snakes, copperheads give no warning signs and strike almost immediately if they feel threatened.

While their bite is very rarely (almost never) fatal to humans (small pets are a different matter), the bite often results in temporary tissue damage in the immediate area of bite, and secondary infection can sometimes occur.  Children and elderly and people with compromised immune systems may have strong reactions to the venom, however, and anyone who is bitten by a copperhead should always seek prompt medical attention.