Stop by one of our San Mateo County Libraries locations beginning Monday, May 10 to pick up a Mosquito Maker Kit and learn about the life cycle of mosquitoes! Kits include instructions and materials for making mosquitoes out of pipe cleaners and are provided by the San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District, opens a new window.
Children and families will learn how important water is to the mosquito life cycle and how to keep mosquitoes from growing around your homes. This is a cute, hands-on, and screen-free way to learn something new! And while you're learning about mosquitoes, you can also learn about the various things the District does for our communities.
District services are no-charge for individuals, and include:
- Treating storm drains — Many people recognize the District’s white Jeeps driving around in the summer. These Jeeps are used to treat drains holding water under the street that could grow mosquitoes.
- Responding to mosquito concerns — Have you noticed a lot of mosquitoes or mosquitoes biting in the daytime? Call the District, opens a new window or visit their website to let them know to check around your neighborhood for where the mosquitoes might be coming from.
- Weekly and monthly checks, and treatments of big water sources — San Mateo County has a lot of water, and District staff diligently check which water sources might be growing mosquitoes. Water that is growing mosquitoes is treated to control the mosquito population.
- Rodent inspections — Do you think you have some furry animals that shouldn't be in your home? District staff can do an inspection and give detailed tips on how to keep rats, mice, and other animals out of your attics, crawlspaces, and homes.
- Yellowjacket nest removal — As the weather warms up, the District gets many requests for help removing yellowjacket nests from lawns and yards. If you know where a nest is, the District can get rid of it.
- Tick surveillance — The District collects ticks from local parks and public areas to learn more about the tick-borne diseases in San Mateo County.
- Insect identification — Have you found a weird bug that is bothering you? District staff can help identify the bug and give tips to keep it from bugging you further.
- Disease surveillance — District staff are regularly testing ticks, dead birds, and mosquitoes to find out if these animals are carrying germs that can make people sick.
The San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District, opens a new window is an independent special district that provides services to everyone living in San Mateo County. A special district is separate from the County government and it provides local services to people in its boundaries under the guidance of a Board of Trustees. The District is funded by property taxes and works to protect public health through science-based integrated vector management.
We invite you to take advantage of this opportunity and learn some interesting facts about mosquitoes! And To further your exploration, we've put together a list of children’s books about mosquitoes for you to check out from from us.
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