News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Some Mosquitoes in Nashville have tested positive for the West Nile Virus.
Pest Control Technician Ethan Adcock said the best way to naturally protect your home from mosquitoes is to make sure there is as little standing water around your property as possible. He said because that is where mosquitos will gather and nest.
“Get rid of some of those standing waters, people have tires laying around with water standing in them, an old pool they don’t use, anything that can hold water that sits outside people forget about around the house,” Adcock said. “Getting rid of those will help your mosquito problem pretty well.”
Nashville officials stated a batch of mosquitoes carrying the virus was found near the intersection of Bell Road and Anderson Road in Southeast Nashville. Officials say there have been no human cases reported as of Wednesday morning.
Adcock said while spending time outside keeping mosquitoes away is challenging, there are a few simple protective measures you can take.
“The bug sprays you can get at the store work to a certain extent,” Adcock said. “Wearing a long sleeve shirt always helps, and long pants keep them away from your skin. But sometimes it is difficult, there’s only so much you can do.”
Adcock said it is important to be aware of the potential diseases that mosquitoes can spread, but not all of them carry serious diseases.
“There’s around 200 different kinds that live in the United States, and of those only about 12 or so actually make people sick,” Adcock said. “So it’s not as big of a concern here as it is in some other countries, but they do spread disease in some cases.”
Adcock said mosquitos are typically most active at night, but in this area, they have been known to often be active during the day as well.
