Recent wet weather has created an ideal breeding climate for potentially lethal mosquitoes Health Minister Patrice Minors warned yesterday.

She urged residents to regularly remove standing water which mosquitoes need to breed.

Minister Minors pointed out that while mosquitoes are not presently on the wing and biting in large numbers, their larvae or eggs may be lurking in a buckets, tyres, turtle-ponds, flower pots, toys, barrels and other yard that may have collected rain water.

"Ponds should be stocked with fish that will eat mosquito larvae. Action taken now will pay dividends this summer," the Minister cautioned.

Mrs. Minors said other countries which have not been vigilant have seen a dramatic rise in mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever.

Since January 2004, Indonesia has recorded almost 14,000 cases of dengue fever and over 260 deaths, many of which were school children.

Mrs Minors said while Bermuda was declared dengue free in the 1960s the Dengue and West Nile Virus mosquito has been found in Bermuda in recent years.

In 2003, the Ministry of Health inspected 27,066 premises and five percent of these premises were breeding mosquitoes.

The majority of inspections were in response to results of mosquito trapping in 300 traps the Department has around the Island. The percentage of positive traps for 2003 decreased by four percent and the average number of mosquito eggs also decreased by 16 percent.

In 2003, 19 persons were prosecuted for mosquito breeding offences.

The Minister said the Ministry is looking at ways to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in poorly constructed road drains and wells, and the challenges of trash and litter ? particularly, bottles thrown in the trees ? which create mosquito breeding sites.

She commended the Ministry of Works and Engineering, Keep Bermuda Beautiful and other community groups which help to clean up littered sites, thus reducing the possibility of mosquito breeding.

The Dengue or Aedes Aegypti Mosquito is black with white stripes and usually bites around the ankles.

"Don't wait to be bitten before you protect your family," the Minister said.

For further information call Government Vector Control for assistance on 239-3478.