Protect Your Home From Dengue Mosquitos
I?t's important to prevent mosquitoes from breeding both inside and outside your home.
Inside the home, disease-causing mosquitoes commonly breed in ornamental and other containers, plant pot trays and plates, and canvas sheets/plastic sheets. Outside the home, mosquitoes can breed in perimeter drains, gully traps and discarded containers.
You can take the following precautions to protect your home from mosquitoes:
Daily
- Use insecticide sprays in dark corners (under the bed, sofa and behind curtains) and burn repellent oils inside your home
- Turn over all water storage containers when empty and store them under a shelter
- Cover bamboo pole holders when not in use
- Loosen soil in potted plants to prevent accumulation of stagnant water on surface
Alternate days
- Change water in vases/bowls
- Remove water from flower/plant pot plates
Weekly
- Clear fallen leaves and stagnant water in scupper drains and in the garden
- Clear any stagnant water in air cooler units
Monthly
- Clear fallen leaves and other blockages in roof gutters
- Use sand granular insecticide in gully traps and roof gutters
5-step mozzie wipe-out
The NEA (National Environment Agency) has developed a ?10-minute 5-step Mozzie Wipe-out? routine to keep homes free of the Aedes mosquito. The 5 steps are:
- Change water in vases/bowls on alternate days.
- Turn over all water storage containers.
- Remove water from flower pot plates on alternate days.
- Cover bamboo pole holders when not in use.
- Clear blockages and put BTI insecticide in roof gutters monthly.
Dengue colour-coded alert system
To protect yourself and your family from dengue fever and severe dengue, you should familiarise yourself with NEA?s dengue colour-coded alert system. This system uses colour-coded banners (yellow, red, or green) to indicate an active dengue cluster and the preventive measures residents can take.
Alert Red: More than 10 cases in your neighbourhood.
Precautions to take: Do the mozzie wipe-out every alternate day; apply repellent and keep your arms and legs covered; spray insecticide in dark corners in your home.
Alert Yellow: Less than 10 cases in your neighbourhood.
Precautions to take: Do the mozzie wipeout once a week; apply repellent and cover your arms and legs; spray insecticide in dark corners in your home.
Alert Green: Remain vigilant.
Precautions to take?: Do the mozzie wipe-out once a week; spray insecticide in dark corners in your home.
