To the editor:

MOWERS:

Never pull mowers backwards while the blades are engaged.

Keep children under the age of 14 and pets in the house while you are mowing. If you do this, 85 percent of lawnmower accidents could be avoided.

Only let teenagers over the age of 15 operate lawn mowing machinery.

Look in front and behind you before you start and during mowing.

Don’t ride kids on the mower with you.

MOSQUITOES:

The Indiana State Health Department Senior Vector Borne Epidemiologist and Entomology Director Bryan Price reminds everyone that the mosquito season is not over.

Tips to help avoid mosquito-borne diseases and reduce mosquito populations:

Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are active (especially late afternoon, dusk to dawn and early morning).

Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or paramenthanediol to clothes and exposed skin.

Cover exposed skin by wearing a hat, long sleeves and long pants in places where mosquitoes are especially active, such as wooded areas.

Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out of the home.

Even a container as small as a bottle cap can become a mosquito breeding ground, so residents should take the following steps to eliminate potential breeding grounds:

Discard old tires, tin cans, ceramic pots or other containers that can hold water.

Repair failed septic systems.

Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors.

Keep grass cut short and shrubbery trimmed.

Clean clogged roof gutters, particularly if leaves tend to plug up the drains.

Frequently replace the water in pet bowls.

Flush ornamental fountains and birdbaths periodically; aerate ornamental pools, or stock them with predatory fish.

Jennifer Heller, Brown County Health Department

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