Wildlife Rescue Series!

Chances are, no one can stop it from coming, but there are lots of things you can do to make sure it doesn’t get you! Make it your mission this summer to be a West Nile Virus Warrior!

Here in BC, West Nile Virus still hasn’t hit. It’s come all the way across Canada and stopped at the Rocky Mountains. It’s crossed the United States and stopped at the Washington-BC border. Some say this is the year, and though they’ve been wrong before, it can never hurt to be ready to fight!

First of all, minimize your contact with mosquitoes! This means not hanging around swampy, marshy areas where they like to breed. Of course, if you’re camping, or in cottage country, or pretty much anywhere in Northern Ontario or the prairies through the summer, staying far away from mosquitoes might be impossible. So apart from that, my top five tips are:

1. Use insect repellents that contain DEET or other approved ingredients.
2. Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk. If you can, stay indoors at these times.
3. Wear protective clothing during mosquito season (May to October). This includes long sleeves, pants and a hat.
4. Ask your parents to install screens on the doors and windows of your home, and check them frequently for holes!
5. Empty saucers under flower pots, change water in birdbaths, ponds and animal bowls often, drain pool covers and remove debris from your yard that collects water. Why? Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water, and it takes only about four days for them to hatch. Even a saucer’s worth of water can act as a breeding ground!

Any other tips for Wildlife Rescue Series readers? Click on “Comments” below, and let us know!