Westchester County: Zika Plan and Free Minnows

Westchester County is preparing to fight the bite and has double the number of mosquito traps from last year so they can be tested for Zika. They are taking pre-emptive measures by applying larvicide to catch basins and county roads where most breeding occurs to reduce the populations.

If a person contracts the Zika virus locally, the county will target the specific area and mist accordingly.

County Executive Rob Astorino is asking the public to get involved.  “The biggest threat is have a little breeding ground in your own yard and you don’t take care of it.   There’s not a lot we can do to prevent that.  But there’s a lot you can do to prevent it, and that’s just cleaning out the water that’s been standing still for a long time.”

Westchester county is giving away minnows for free, which eat mosquitoes in standing water.  You can pick them up at Westchester County airport.