Blair Encourages Residents to 'Fight The Bite'

In partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Blair County Emergency Management has kicked off the 2023 tick and mosquito surveillance season. While most insects provide beneficial effects, such as being part of the food web or acting as pollinators for plants, ticks and mosquitoes can become a biting nuisance or — more importantly — transmit diseases that can make you sick. Each week the Blair County Emergency Management Agency Vector Control Specialist collects environmental samples of tick and mosquito populations from our communities to assess disease transmission potential. Communities with mosquito and tick populations showing elevated disease risks are proactively targeted with control measures and personal protection education.

Additionally, the PA Department of Environmental Protection uses the data collected to publish seasonal risk values throughout the Commonwealth at https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/ProgramIntegration/Vector-Management/Pages/default.aspx. Funding for the collection, testing and control of tick and mosquito populations is supported through a grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

If you see the Blair County Emergency Management Vector Control Specialist collecting insects this season by dragging a white cloth along the edge of local parks or setting mosquito traps, this is being done to measure the risk of tick and mosquito populations transmitting diseases in Blair County. While our agency actively monitors tick and mosquito populations, all residents in our community have a shared responsibility to reduce habitat for these insects.

As more time is spent outdoors, the CDC and County of Blair recommends the following steps to prevent bites from mosquitoes and ticks:

• Insect repellent, when used properly, can keep mosquitoes and ticks off your skin.

• Wear long-sleeve shirts, long pants, and socks to keep bugs off your skin.

• Perform daily tick checks after being outdoors, even In your own yard. Remove ticks immediately using fine-tipped tweezers.

• Early morning, late afternoon, and early evening are peak biting times for mosquitoes that spread West Nile virus.

• Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, even in small containers. Walk around the outside of your home at least once a week and empty any water that’s collected.

• Create a tick-safe zone around your home. For example: remove leaf litter and clear grasses and brush around your home and the edge of the lawn, and place mulch between lawns and wooded areas to keep ticks off the places you work and play the most.

• Check for and repair holes in window and door screens.