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On Friday, May 17 between 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., the Westchester County Health Department will hand out free mosquito dunks for placing in bird baths, rain barrels, unused pools, lined ornamental ponds, and other areas with standing water.
The dunks will be available at the Westchester County Department of Public Works in White Plains at 198 Lake St.
To kill mosquito, blackfly, and fungus gnat larvae, the dunks contain a bacterium called Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis that is safe for animals and plants and naturally occurring in soil, health officials said.
Officials added that the bacterium is approved for pest control in organic farming and poses no harm to crops or water supplies.
"These dunks provide an environmentally safe and more cost-effective way to reduce the mosquito population than our past distribution of minnows. In recent years, pond-raised minnows have become increasingly difficult to procure," said Westchester County Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler.
According to Amler, another way residents can combat the spread of mosquitoes is to eliminate standing water from their properties after it rains. Because mosquitoes do not fly far, stopping them from breeding can keep them away from homes, officials said.
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