By Freeholder Deputy Director Gerry P. Little. Summer is only weeks away and with the arrival of hot humid days comes the annual return of the mosquitoes.

The Ocean County Health Department is already working hard to educate residents on the best ways to control these insects, which today are far more than the simple pests they used to be.

Mosquitoes carry a host of diseases, including West Nile Virus and the headline-making Zika virus.

Rest assured that our County Health Department is in close contact with both state and federal officials, who are closely monitoring Zika’s spread in the United States.

But health officials can’t do it alone. We need the public’s help to control the mosquito menace.

Now is the time to do a thorough examination of the exterior of your home and your yard to find and remove places where mosquitoes breed.

Mosquito larvae grow in standing water, even the smallest container can be home to hundreds of mosquitoes.

Bird baths, old swimming pools, rain barrels, potted plant trays and gutters are ideal mosquito breeding lairs.

To prevent mosquitoes from entering a home, carefully check all window and door screens for even the smallest tears or holes.

If you have a swimming pool, make sure the water is kept clean and circulating throughout the summer.

Also, replace outdoor lights with yellow bug lights that tend to attract fewer mosquitoes and insects in general.

While outdoors, wear long pants and long sleeves and use EPA-registered insect repellents on exposed skin. Consider equipping baby strollers with mosquito netting.

And rest assured that you are not in this fight alone.

Our Ocean County Mosquito Commission, under the leadership of Freeholder Director John P. Kelly, is once again bringing its full resources to the fight against these flying vermin.

Using boats, trucks and a helicopter, Commission employees inspect likely breeding areas and apply larvicide as necessary.

The helicopter can also be used for aerial spraying if the need arises.

While the county has “all hands on deck” to fight mosquitoes this year, we can’t do it without the help of our residents.

Please take the time to inspect your property and stop the mosquitoes before they mature and become a health threat.

For more information, visit the Ocean County Health Department website at www.ochd.org or the Mosquito Commission at www.oceancountymosquito.org.

[TLS]