How to make your houses dengue-free

We are reposting tips on how to make your homes dengue-free as there are warnings all over Metro Manila that dengue might invade our homes once again.

There is no cure for dengue. The only way to prevent it is to get rid of any stagnant water that the Aedes mosquito, which spreads the disease, can breed in.

Here are tips that can help you steer clear of dengue:

1. Avoid the use of plant pot plates, if possible. If not, remove water collected in the plates. Clean and scrub the plates thoroughly to remove mosquito eggs.

2. Loosen soil that potted plants are grown in, to prevent water from accumulating on any hardened soil.

3. Scrub flower vases and change the water inside them every other day. Wash roots of flowers and plants thoroughly as mosquito eggs can stick to them easily.

4. Turn pails and watering cans over and store them under shelter.

5. Cover bamboo pole holders after use, to prevent rainwater from accumulating inside.

6. Avoid placing trays or containers above and beneath air-conditioning units that may collect stagnant water.

7. Avoid placing potted plants and other paraphernalia over the scupper drains along common corridors in HDB estates, as they may block the flow of water in the drains.

8. Clear fallen leaves and stagnant water in your scupper drains and garden, to prevent the leaves from collecting water, or clog up the drains and allow stagnant water to accumulate.

9. Spray insecticide in damp and dark areas.

10. Add prescribed amounts of sand granular insecticide into vases, gully traps and roof gutters, even if these are dry.

11. Use non-perforated gully traps and install anti-mosquito valves. Cover rarely used gully traps.

Please feel free to share this with your friends so we can all be dengue-free.