• Empty anything that holds standing water. Mosquitoes, which spread West Nile virus when they bite, need water to breed and grow.
   
• Make sure roof gutters drain properly, and clean clogged gutters in the spring and fall.

• Fix leaky outdoor faucets and sprinklers.

• Make sure window and door screens are "bug tight."

• Stay indoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. When outside, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and a hat. (Before laying eggs, mosquitoes seek out a meal from a bird, dog, horse or humans.)

• Repellents containing DEET are effective. Take special care when using repellents on children.

• For more information visit the state Department of Health’s Web site, www.doh.wa.gov/ehp and click on West Nile Virus; the Snohomish Health District’s Web site, www.snohd.org or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site, www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid, and click on West Nile Virus.

Source: Washington State Department of Health.