The Rockland County Health Department will give away fathead minnows on Thursday, May 4, with other free mosquito-eliminating products available before then to help combat the spread of West Nile and Zika diseases.

Fathead minnows are small fish that eat mosquito larvae before they become flying, biting adults. They can eat up to 200 mosquito larvae per day. These minnows can be placed in ponds, unused swimming pools, ornamental ponds, and other similar areas with a minimum of eight inches of water.

Pickup for the minnow will take place between 4-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 4, at the Robert L. Yeager Health Complex, 50 Sanatorium Road in Pomona.

Free Mosquito Dunks are also available, while supplies last, from the County Health Department. Mosquito Dunks are small, donut-shaped objects that float on standing water and release bacteria that kill mosquitoes in the water before they grow into adults. The Health Department provides the Mosquito Dunks to Rockland residents to use in closed or unused private swimming pools, ponds, and spas. The dunks are effective on wet surfaces for roughly 30 days. A single dunk will treat about 100 square feet of standing water. 

The Mosquito Dunks and the fathead minnows must be ordered in advance. 

For more information, visit the Rockland County Health Department Mosquito Control Program webpage here.