Yesterday, we had a couple stories about mosquito season and those carrying the West Nile Virus and the Zika Virus.  There are some simple precautions you can take to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and protect yourself from being bitten.  Precautions include practicing the three “R’s” – reduce, repel and report.  Reduce the possibility of having mosquitoes around by making sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens.  Repair or replace screens that have tears or other openings.  Try to keep doors and windows shut.  Eliminate, or refresh each week, all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires, and any other containers.  Repel mosquitoes when outdoors by wearing shoes and socks, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions.  Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.  Also, report locations where you see water sitting stagnant for more than a week such as roadside ditches, flooded yards, and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes.  The Washington County Health Department or the City of Nashville Street Department may be able to add larvicide to the water, which will kill any mosquito eggs.  Let them know about any dead birds also.  Additional information about West Nile virus can be found on the IDPH website, www.dph.illinois.gov.