A county health department in New York’s Hudson Valley is trying a natural way to minimize the chances of becoming infected with West Nile Virus.
The Westchester County Health Department is offering free minnows to help residents keep their ponds from becoming breeding sites for mosquitoes that can carry West Nile Virus. Health Commissioner Dr. Sherlita Amler says the natural strategy has proven effective in county parks and in other jurisdictions. The minnows reduce the mosquito population by feeding on mosquito larva and pupa, or, not-yet-adult mosquitos. The county will distribute 100 pounds of fathead minnows Friday and Saturday. The minnows should be released in ponds that have a minimum of eight to twelve inches of water. The fish are just part of the county’s West Nile prevention strategy.
