Mosquito season is underway across Southeast Kansas, and many communities are using fogging to help reduce mosquito populations. But residents can also take steps at home to help keep numbers down.

Wildcat Extension Crop Production Agent James Coover says one of the best ways to prevent mosquitoes is by eliminating standing water. Empty buckets, flowerpots, bird baths, pet dishes and other containers regularly, and keep gutters clear. Coover says mosquitoes can breed in even small amounts of water.

Coover also says nature can lend a hand. Dragonflies are natural mosquito predators, feeding on both mosquitoes and their larvae, making them a helpful ally in controlling mosquito populations.