Hawthorne Street Declares War on Skeeters!

Every August, our backyard transforms into the most popular spot for mosquitoes in all of Brooklyn. (Or at least it seems that way.) I can go for a walk in Prospect Park and not get bitten, but dare I step out back for 5 minutes and I'm covered with welts. So this year I'm urging my neighbors to join me in declaring WAR ON SKEETERS. Now is the time for action, people—in spring, before all the skeeter eggs hatch.

The most effective way to lower the skeeter count is to remove any area where water pools in your yard—gutters, flower pots, bird baths, piles of leaves and other garden debris, garbage cans and the like. Even small cracks can incubate hundreds of skeeters if left wet for a few days. Want to stop these pests? Cleaning up and removing standing water will do more to reduce their population than $1,000 bug zappers—and won't cost you a thing. 

For more info, see the U of Kentucky skeeter page.