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I​t's important to prevent mosquitoes from breeding both inside and outside your home.

Inside the home, disease-causing mosquitoes commonly breed in ornamental and other containers, plant pot trays and plates, and canvas sheets/plastic sheets. Outside the home, mosquitoes can breed in perimeter drains, gully traps and discarded containers.

“It’s important to take precautions inside and outside your home to prevent mosquito breeding and contribute to dengue prevention,” says Dr Chua Ying Ying, Senior Consultant from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth​ group.

You can take the following precautions to protect your home from mosquitoes:

1. Practice the 5-step Mozzie Wipeout

The Aedes misquito prefers to breed in clean, stagnant water. All it takes is clean, stagnant water as small in volume as the size of a 20-cent coin for mosquitoes to breed. So do the Mozzie Wipeout at least once a week, as recommended by the NEA (National Environment Agency), to prevent mosquito breeding. Stop dengue with B-L-O-C-K:

  • Break up hardened soil in potted plants

  • Lift and empty flowerpot plates

  • Overturn pails and wipe their rims

  • Change water in vases

  • Keep roof gutters clear and place BTI insecticide

2. In addition to the Mozzie Wipeout, other things you can do to prevent mosquito breeding are

Daily

  • Check for water accumulation on the trays of dish drying rack        

  • Use insecticide sprays in dark corners (under the bed, sofa and behind curtains) and burn repellent oils inside your home

  • Turn over all water storage containers when empty and store them under a shelter

  • Cover bamboo pole holders when not in use

  • Loosen soil in potted plants to prevent accumulation of stagnant water on surface

Alternate days

  • Change water in vases/bowls

  • Remove water from flower/plant pot plates

Weekly

  • Check for water ponding due to leakage underneath kitchen sink / bathroom basin         

  • Clear fallen leaves and stagnant water in scupper drains and in the garden

  • Clear any stagnant water in air cooler units

Monthly

  • Clear fallen leaves and other blockages in roof gutters

  • Use sand granular insecticide in gully traps and roof gutters

3. Familiarise yourself with the dengue colour-coded alert system

To protect yourself and your family from dengue fever and severe dengue, you should familiarise yourself with NEA’s dengue colour-coded alert system. This system uses colour-coded banners (yellow, red, or green) to indicate an active dengue cluster and the preventive measures residents can take.

Alert Red: More than 10 cases in your neighbourhood.

Precautions to take: Do the mozzie wipe-out every alternate day; apply repellent and keep your arms and legs covered; spray insecticide in dark corners in your home.

Alert Yellow: Less than 10 cases in your neighbourhood.

Precautions to take: Do the mozzie wipeout once a week; apply repellent and cover your arms and legs; spray insecticide in dark corners in your home.

Alert Green: Remain vigilant.

Precautions to take​: Do the mozzie wipe-out once a week; spray insecticide in dark corners in your home.

4. Be in the know by visting the NEA website for the latest dengue information

Ways to prevent Aedes mosquito breeding

Learn how you can prevent Aedes mosquito breeding at the NEA’s dengue webpage.

URL: www.nea.gov.sg/dengue-zika/dengue

Areas with higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population

The female Aedes aegypti mosquito is the primary vector of dengue in Singapore. View the map showing areas with relatively higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population, and thus higher risk of dengue transmission, detected by the National Environment Agency (NEA)’s nationwide Gravitrap Surveillance System.

Residents living in areas with relatively higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population are urged to help reduce the mosquito population by regularly practising the Mozzie Wipeout. 

URL: https://www.nea.gov.sg/dengue-zika/Aedes 

Find out whether you are in an area with higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population
Simply download the myENV app and view the Aedes Mosquitoes map, showing areas with relatively higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population detected by Gravitraps.

Download myENV for iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/sg/app/myenv/id444435182

Download myENV for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sg.gov.nea&hl=en

Receive alerts on areas with higher Aedes aegypti mosquito population

Simply download the myENV app, add in your locations and set the notification for Aedes Mosquitoes. You will be notified if one of your locations is in an area with higher Aedes population detected by Gravitraps.

Download myENV for iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/sg/app/myenv/id444435182

Download myENV for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=sg.gov.nea&hl=en 

See page 1 for tips on how to protect yourself and loved ones from dengue fever.

Because #healthiswealth #healthforgood

Ref: S13

Check out our other dengue-related articles:

Dengue Fever: 4 Things to Do for Fast Recovery

Severe dengue: What are the symptoms?

Not just dengue, the Aedes mosquito also causes this

Dengue: Latest Updates in Singapore and Internationally