The county is starting to get calls about mosquito control.

But there isn’t any.

Effingham County does not have a mosquito control unit. The cost — of the chemicals, the trucks and the personnel — is seen as too excessive, and there are more than 480 square miles to cover.

The front line of mosquito defense is what you can do at home. First, don’t let any standing water accumulate. Properly throw away or destroy all old tires. Recycle or dispose of tin cans, jars, plant pots and other containers that could hold water. Check and clear gutters and store wheelbarrows, tubs, buckets, barrels and boats upside down so water does not accumulate. Change the water in bird baths, small wading pools and pet dishes at least once a week.

If you have a pool and you’re not using it, cover it so rainwater and leaves don’t accumulate there, either.