5 Things, August 9: COA Events and Tips to Avoid Mosquito Bites

1. Chance of Showers and Thunderstorms Thursday

Thursday calls for a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm, according to the National Weather Service. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

This evening, expect mostly cloudy skies, with a low around 66. South wind 3 to 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

2. Tips to Avoid Mosquito Bites from Mass. DPH

Here are some tips for staying safe from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health:

Avoid Mosquito Bites

Apply Insect Repellent when Outdoors. Use a repellent with DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide), permethrin, picaridin (KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus [p-methane 3, 8-diol (PMD)] or IR3535 according to the instructions on the product label. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age and should be used in concentrations of 30% or less on older children. Oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under three years of age.

Be Aware of Peak Mosquito Hours: The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. Consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during evening or early morning.

Clothing Can Help Reduce Mosquito Bites: Wearing long-sleeves, long pants and socks when outdoors will help keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

Mosquito-Proof Your Home

Drain Standing Water: Mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water. Limit the number of places around your home for mosquitoes to breed by either draining or discarding items that hold water. Check rain gutters and drains. Empty any unused flowerpots and wading pools, and change water in birdbaths frequently.

Install or Repair Screens: Keep mosquitoes outside by having tightly-fitting screens on all of your windows and doors.

Protect Your Animals

Animal owners should reduce potential mosquito breeding sites on their property by eliminating standing water from containers such as buckets, tires, and wading pools – especially after heavy rains. Water troughs provide excellent mosquito breeding habitats and should be flushed out at least once a week during the summer months to reduce mosquitoes near paddock areas. Horse owners should keep horses in indoor stalls at night to reduce their risk of exposure to mosquitoes. If an animal is diagnosed with WNV or EEE, owners are required to report to DAR, Division of Animal Health by calling 617-626-1795 and to the Department of Public Health (DPH) by calling 617-983-6800.

More information, including all WNV and EEE positive results from 2012, can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at www.mass.gov/dph/wnv or by calling the DPH Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800. The findings of the DPH Eastern Equine Encephalitis Expert Panel can be found here.

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4. School Committee Workshop at Town Hall

The Walpole School Committee will be participating in a workshop at 6:00 p.m. in the Office of the Superintendent at .

5. Busy Day of Council on Aging Events

The Walpole Council on Aging will host several events for seniors in town today.

• A walk-in breakfast will be held at the senior center from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. $2.50 gets 2 eggs, toast, breakfast meat and coffee.
• A walking club will meet at Bird Park at 8:30 a.m.
• A yoga session will be lead by instructor Robin Lamperti at 11:30 a.m. The cost to participate is $4.
• A movie will be shown at the senior center at 1:00 p.m. Refreshments will be served.