From a human’s point of view, the rainy season can mean a lot of things: flood, break from the summer heat, or hot bowls of soup. But for mosquitoes, this time of the year presents an opportunity to breed in dark, water-filled areas.
So despite the continuous rise of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, it doesn’t give us a pass to slack off and prioritize one problem over another. Dedicate the time you once spent on traffic to cleaning areas that could be harboring Dengue-causing mosquitoes.
Here are steps to prepare and protect your home this Dengue season.
Daily
Check the dark corners of your home, such as the areas under the bed, sofa, behind the curtains and inside the cabinets. Ensure that there are no water leaks and that the area is regularly cleaned. You may opt to spray the areas with insect repellent oils like cedarwood, cinnamon, and citronella.
Frequently check water storage containers if they are tightly sealed. If you accidentally left them open, constantly check if there are larvae and pupae. If you have found some, generously add dish soap or shampoo in the water container, seal tightly, and wait for a day for the soap to kill the larva. Then, scrub it clean the following day and ensure that you seal it well the next time you store water.
Wipe dry water storage containers and catch basins of dish racks, especially in the kitchen. Make sure to get every nook and cranny because mosquitoes can fit in small areas.
Turn over ornamental fountains, basins, buckets, and dippers that are not in use. If you’re not going to use them for a long time, wipe them dry before storing them.
For plantitas and plantitos, add another layer to your routine. Loosen the soil, especially after a rain pour or watering your plants. Pay extra attention to your plant saucers as these are great breeding grounds when their cleanliness is not maintained.
For this time of the year, you might opt for dried flowers and skip fresh flowers in water-filled flower vases. However, if you truly prefer fresh ones, make sure to change the water at least once every two days. Before discarding the water, check for larvae or pupae and clean them thoroughly.
Routinely
As often as possible, clean your garden–be it vertical or horizontal. Check if there is stagnant water in dried leaves, containers, discarded tires, canals, and drains. Ensure that these areas are dry and clean.
Since you’re already outside the house, check the roof and the gutters, too, especially after non-stop rain pours. Sweep gutters to ensure water can water will be no water stagnation and breeding ground for the blood-sucking insect.
Have you done any of these already? If you have not, you should ask yourself, “Is my home dengue season ready?”