SERI is collaborating with the University of Arizona on a mosquito abatement project. Mosquitos leave itchy marks when they bite their victims, and some kinds of mosquitos carry diseases such as the west nile virus. Mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water from common household items such as birdbaths and flower pot trays, and can the larvae can survive in as little as an inch of water.
The simpliest way to reduce the number of mosquitos in your yard is to empty standing water sources frequently so that the larvae never mature into adult mosquitos. One of the SERI staff decided to inspect her back yard, and this is what she found in her birdbath.
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