Learn how to ‘fight the bite’ with DNREC Mosquito Control at the Fair

HARRINGTON (July 26, 2011) – Mosquitoes are not anyone’s favorite subject – but in the midst of a long, hot Delaware summer, most everyone would be interested in knowing what they can do to have less of these backyard nuisances. On Wednesday, July 27, DNREC Mosquito Control staff will be out in front of the DNREC Building at the Delaware State Fair from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. to share this information with fairgoers through the section’s display, “Fight the Bite: Delaware Mosquito Control.”

“’Fight the Bite’ is designed to show folks what Mosquito Control does, including how we work to control mosquitoes as well as precautions people can take against bites,” said Laurie Poore, an Mosquito Control environmental technician.

A second display about the Asian tiger mosquito, an aggressive, fast-flying daytime biter that breeds in backyard water sources and doesn’t travel far from where they are born, includes common examples of containers that can serve as mosquito hatcheries – buckets, flower pots, tarps, non-functioning swimming pools, rain gutters and anything else around your yard that can collect water. “We’re trying to get the word out to ask people to look around their yards and see if they have any of these things,” Poore said.

Other special events this week at the Fair are slated to include:

• 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 28 – Ducks Unlimited, Fish and Wildlife porch
• 1 p.m. Thursday, July 28 – DNREC Awards presented by Governor Jack Markell and Secretary Collin O’Mara, main porch
• 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 29 and Saturday, July 30 – Life jacket safety demonstrations with Delaware Boating Safety officer Sgt. Greg Rhodes, Fish and Wildlife porch
• Daily displays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the Fish and Wildlife porch: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boating safety display, and Delaware bat program display, including information on the annual bat count, bat boxes and White Nose Syndrome.

The DNREC Building’s changing exhibit space features all-new displays and interactive activities this year. Visitors can check out the Energy Smart House and take a tour of Delaware, from the beaches and wetlands to the woods and parks, including a colorful Boardwalk Arcade with games and prizes. Staff will also greet visitors at the door and present them with the Passport to Green Living to help them search and explore the displays, and earn a prize.

Adjoining the main display area is the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s live animal room, which this year features a wide range of wildlife from raccoons to native fish and a special display for the 100^th anniversary of fish and wildlife conservation in Delaware.

The DNREC Building is located at the north end of the Fairgrounds near the 4-H Building and across from the tractor displays. The building will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from through Saturday, July 30. For more information, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov.

Vol. 41, No. 287