Ministry of Health research does not support the view that vacant lots are responsible for the harbouring of mosquitoes, but any settlement of water in bushy areas can contribute to mosquito breeding.
This is coming from Maurice Gaskin, senior environmental health officer with the Vector Control Unit, as he spoke at a town hall meeting organised by the Friends of St Philip North and Love Thy Neighbour Group at Hilda Skeene School, Ruby, St Philip, Monday.
“If a person dumped buckets [in the bush] and they collect water they would breed mosquitoes, but the mosquitoes would not stay in the bush. They move into homes because they need blood. Mosquitoes are domesticated. A vacant lot with lots of bush and with the sun very hot – any mosquitoes that are in bush would die,” said Gaskin as he responded to a question from the audience.
“In our research, vacant lots have not been the issue . . . . A lady called the St Philip polyclinic and said, ‘I made a report to you all and you all are not working. You should come around and look to see why I am getting so many mosquitoes’ . . . . she said did not care what we are doing and that we should come around.
“We have a have a tendency that if you complain for any problem we should inspect by you first. That is the rule. When the inspector went by her she had 19 containers breeding mosquitoes. We are not finding the mosquitoes in the bush. We are finding the mosquitoes at houses.”
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