With the sudden onset of rainy weather many of us have been stuck inside tending to our spring cleaning. Yet, what really needs our attention is our yard and neighborhood!

When rain falls down on the earth it not only lands on the ground but also in plant pots, buckets, toys that may have been left outside, open canoes

or boats and old tires that have been lying around. When water collects in a tire or container it becomes a breeding spot for mosquitoes. A common mosquito that breeds in standing water is an exotic species, the Asian tiger mosquito. This mosquito was first found in the United States in August 1985. It is believed that the mosquito arrived in tire casings that were imported from Asia and brought to Texas. However, it was first seen breeding in used discarded tires within Houston, Texas. Within two years the mosquito had populated 17 states and currently occupies at least 25.

Although all mosquitoes may look the same when they are buzzing around your head the Asian tiger mosquito does have a distinguishing feature; a black body banded with white stripes. It is also an aggressive biter that can transmit numerous human diseases. So far, it has not been known to transmit any disease within the United States but let's stop the problem before it evolves.

What can you do? Since these mosquitoes are commonly found in backyards we can blame ourselves for creating the perfect breeding habitat. If the habitat is right and food is available they may stick around your house or neighborhood once they hatch. Therefore, it is important for you to take action and clean up the outdoors! Remove and monitor water collection sites near the home. This includes plant pots, bird baths and most importantly tires. If you have tires on or near your property and you are a Cayuga County resident you can dispose of them on Saturday, June 3, for a very small fee of 50 cents per tire. The event will take place at the Natural Resource Building, located at 7413 County House Road, Sennett, (near the County Sheriffs Department). There is a limit of 40 tires per household and tires cannot be more than 36 inches in the outside diameter. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County, Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District and Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development are sponsoring the 2006 tire collection event. Tires that are collected will be sent to Nucor-Steel in Auburn for recycling.

It is important to prevent the entry of mosquito eggs into the United States and our neighborhoods. Properly disposing of individual used tires makes a difference! It can be easy if you take advantage of Cayuga County's tire collection event otherwise disposing of tires can be very difficult, expensive, and a time-consuming procedure.

For more information on the tire collection event or if you are a business or have more than 40 tires, please call Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County at 255-1183.

Renee Jensen is a program educator of environmental issues at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County