Summer is a time to have fun outside, but nothing spoils fun faster than mosquitoes. Not only are they a nuisance, but they can carry potentially serious illnesses such as the West Nile virus and Chikunguna virus. The City of Benbrook wants to remind you that reducing your risk of being bitten is your best defense against mosquitoes. 

Here are some helpful tips to consider: 

• Use insect repellent whenever you spend time outdoors, day or night. Look for a repellent with DEET or other EPA-registered repellent such as Picaridin, Oil of lemon, eucalyptus, PMD or IR3535.
• Wear long sleeves and pants to leave less of your skin exposed.
• Remove stagnant water from your property. Any amount of standing water can give mosquitoes a place to lay their eggs. Standing water may be found in stagnant swimming pools, bird baths, flowerpots, trash containers, children’s toys, clogged rain gutters, and other places.  
• Place environmentally friendly B.t.i. Briquets (mosquito pellets) in standing water that cannot be drained. Mosquito pellets can be purchased at local home and garden stores.
• Properly maintain your landscaping to help reduce the mosquito population. Mosquitoes go to cooler, humid, shady areas in your yard during the daytime to rest and escape the heat of the day. Thinning shrubs and cutting down tall grass and weeds will reduce the harborage areas and number of mosquitoes in your yard.

The City works closely with Tarrant County Public Health Department to monitor for mosquito-borne illnesses and implement mosquito control activities. Follow the City’s website and Facebook page for related information and updates.