List of items: dengue, Zika and chikungunya

List of items that can hold water

Check your yard regularly for anything that can hold water. This will help keep mosquitoes from breeding and help prevent diseases like dengue, Zika and chikungunya.

Car tires

Should be stored in a dry place, such as under a roof or covered, or in a way that will never allow water to collect.

Old stoves, refrigerators, washing machines and cars

Should be taken to the landfill. Care must be taken to ensure that these items do not contain or collect water while outside.

(Empty) bottles

Should be disposed of (thrown away or recycled at the Waste Deposit Station). Broken glass bottles (e.g. attached on top of fence walls) should be filled with sand or cement.

Cans, cups and disposable containers

Should be removed along with any other litter found in the yard, on the street, or in nature. Even a small bottle cap can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes!

Toys

Toys left in your yard can collect water and provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Puddles that remain for more than a week

Sweep the water away or fill the hole with dirt.

Flower vases or saucers under plant pots

These should be cleaned once a week to remove mosquito eggs. Pots with plant cuttings that are kept in water (such as creeping ivy) should be filled with soil. Large vases and pots are often used for decoration in gardens. These should be filled with soil or have holes in the bottom to allow collected water to drain.

Pet food and water bowls

These should be thoroughly cleaned at least once a week (wipe the surfaces with a scour sponge to remove any eggs).

Barrels for collecting rainwater

Water collection barrels must be covered with cloth or netting, secured with an elastic band or metal wire to prevent mosquitoes from reaching the water.

Hollow concrete blocks, decorative blocks and hollow garden fence posts that could hold water

Should be filled with soil or cement to prevent them from holding water.

Pools, inflatables, sandboxes or boats that are not in use

Turn them upside down so they do not collect rainwater.

Gutters

Should be cleaned regularly to prevent water from collecting in them.

If you have a toilet that is not used regularly

Flush it at least once a week. The tank/container should always be covered.