The Maryland Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, has expanded mosquito control services in areas of Montgomery County due to a public health concern over the potential for mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus and Zika virus.

Mosquito control truck-based spraying occurred last week in the Wheaton area of Kensington, the Olde Town area of Gaithersburg and the Sandy Spring area, all in Montgomery County.

Within approximately 24 to 48 hours of the spraying, state and local inspectors will go door-to-door in the area to inspect properties for mosquito breeding sites and will conduct backyard spraying, as needed, to further reduce adult mosquito populations. Residents should continue to survey their properties and their communities and eliminate or treat mosquito breeding sites, which includes emptying all containers of water around the home and yard.

For more information, including: Frequently Asked Questions, 30-second videos on how to control mosquitoes around the home, tips on how to rid the community of mosquito breeding sites, and tips on how to avoid mosquito bites, visit: www.mda.maryland.gov/zika All residents are encouraged to follow the department’s new Twitter feed @MdAgMosquito that will post unscheduled spray events and other timely information about mosquito control in Maryland. For more information, call the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Mosquito Control Program at 410- 841-5870 or the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services’ Disease Control Office at 240-777-1755.