Last night was a wonderful night for dining outside . . . and enjoying a summer night with a glass of wine. There were a couple of mosquito bites; but who cares, isn’t that a part of summer?

Then I read in the Daily Local this morning that the Chester County Health Department has found mosquito traps that tested positive for the West Nile Virus in Phoenixville, Schuylkill Township and . . . Tredyffrin!

The health department has been checking their traps since May and until this week, had received negative results. They are quick to point out that Chester County is one of the last counties in the Commonwealth to test positive this season. Schuylkill and Phoenixville have scheduled their mosquito spraying for August 24 between 8:30-10:30 PM but Tredyffrin has not yet been assigned a date and time. West Nile Virus is not new to Tredyffrin and the township was sprayed last year – I’ll update if I hear anything about our spraying schedule.

The health department also released some suggestions for residents – avoid being outside at dawn or dusk when the bugs are most active. (I suppose that warning includes dining al fresco on the patio.) But if you are going to be outside during those times, you are to wear long sleeves and long pants or wear bug repellent. As I scratch my mosquito bite, I can take comfort knowing the chances of a mosquito bite infecting someone are small and the chance of becoming seriously ill is very low. The health department warns if you experience flu-like symptoms after a mosquito bite, immediately contact a doctor or visit the local emergency room.

To lessen mosquito attraction to your property, make sure that you do not have anything outside that may collect stagnant water – buckets, wheelbarrows, wading pools. Look for standing water and empty those containers. West Nile virus concerns will remain until the first frost – now there’s another reason to look forward to the brisk autumn temperatures.