Get rid of old tires to help fight mosquitoes

KAMLOOPS – This fall, you can easily clear out some prime mosquito breeding habitat around your home — and you can do it for free.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District and its Mosquito Control Program contractor BWP Consulting Inc are providing free, passenger tire drop-off opportunities in the communities of Chase, Clearwater, Barriere, Logan Lake, Heffley Creek and Kamloops.

Any old passenger vehicle tires or transport tractor-trailer tires (no agricultural tires), with or without rims, can be dropped off for recycling on the following dates and locations between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.:

– Saturday, Sept. 12
Haldane Elementary School, 530 Cottonwood, Chase
– Sunday, Sept. 13
Exhibition Park gravel lot across from playing fields River Street, Kamloops
– Saturday, September 19
Clearwater Rotary Sports Park, Murtle Crescent (across from Visitor’s Centre) Clearwater
– Sunday, Sept. 20
Barriere Secondary School, 4811 Barriere Town Rd., Barriere
– Saturday, Sept. 26
Heffley Creek Hall, 6995 Old Highway 5, Heffley Creek
– Sunday, Sept. 27
Logan Lake Visitors Centre, 31 Chartrand Ave., Logan Lake

“Many people may not realize that just a small amount of water inside any old tires sitting around their property can create the perfect breeding ground for mosquito larvae,” says contractor Cheryl Phippen. “By safely recycling these unwanted tires at any of these free, drop-off locations you’ll remove opportunities for mosquitoes to reproduce around your home. That helps protect you, your family and neighbours from the nuisance insects and reduces the potential risk of spreading West Nile Virus.”