Showcase Brings Awareness About Mosquitoes

Everything the public needs to know about mosquitoes and how to eliminate their breeding sites was on display last Friday, in Freedom Park, Fairchild Street, The City.

The Ministry of Health and Wellness, through the Vector Control Unit, held a showcase as part of Mosquito Week, which delved into the world of the vector, its life cycle and habitats.

Students from city schools attended the showcase and saw the mosquitoes up close. They had fun participating in an obstacle course where they competed for prizes by correctly identifying hidden mosquito breeding sites and receptacles, such as buckets, discarded coconut shells, old tyres, and decorative plants like bromeliads, which collect water when it rains.

Adults attending the event also participated in the fun and learned about the various methods they could use to eliminate adult mosquitoes and larvae around their homes.

Companies displayed products that could help in the fight against mosquitoes and their diseases, including dengue, chikungunya, and zika.

Head of the Vector Control Unit, Erskine Springer, said the showcase was well attended, and there were plans to take it to schools in the north of the island. He noted that there are also plans to have a quiz for all primary schools.

Mr. Springer said fogging was an effective way of killing the adult insect to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses in the population.

He added that while concerns have been raised about the effects of fogging on bees, the Vector Control Unit usually issues the weekly fogging schedule early so that members of the public can protect hives prior to the fogging.

Author: Melissa Rollock

Publish: May 13, 2025