Director: David Fiess, MPA, REHS • Phone: (260) 449-7459 • FAX: (260) 449-7460 • Email: dave.fiess@co.allen.in.us
Location: 2242 Carroll Rd, Fort Wayne, IN 46818 • Hours: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
Meet the Staff: Tom McCue, REHS, Asst. Director; Francis Koch, Env.Technician; Pat De Haven, Secretary; Seasonal Mosquito Technicians

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bury my pet on my property?
There are certain restrictions on animal disposal in Indiana.  The Indiana Board of Animal Health governs dead animal disposal.  Please review their requirements.

Can I have the tick that bit my child tested for diseases?
Currently, the Fort Wayne - Allen County Department of Health does not have means to have ticks tested for diseases.  We can identify the tick and provide information on what diseases it could carry.  If symptoms appear, a physician can be informed what kind of tick it was and disease the tick could carry.  Then appropriate treatment can occur.

I found a dead bird on my property. What do I do with it?
The Fort Wayne - Allen County Department of Health does not pick up dead birds anymore.  We would like you to still call in with the address where the bird was found.  We use Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map the locations of dead birds and place adult mosquito traps wherever there are clusters of dead birds.  The bird can be picked up by an inverted bag or shovel.  Place the bird in a bag, tie the bag, and place it into another bag.  Then dispose of in the trash.

Are there any laws to force landlords to fix a mold problem?
There are no Federal, State or local laws that pertain to mold cleanup.  There are laws, though, that do regulate structural and plumbing problems.  Landlords are required to maintain the structure and plumbing of your rental unit.  Contact Fort Wayne Neighborhood Code Enforcement at 311 (if your rental unit is in the City of Fort Wayne) to report structural or plumbing problems.  Mold will not grow if there is no water.

Can my dog or cat get West Nile virus?
Yes, but infection rates are low.  West Nile virus rarely causes severe illness in dogs and cats.  You should be more concerned with dog heartworm infecting your pet.  Mosquitoes, like Aedes vexans and Aedes trivittatus, can transmit dog heartworm to your pet.  That is why it is important to put your pet on a heartworm treatment during the summer.

How can I properly cover my swimming pool?
A firm, solid cover or a wood frame with a peak in the middle with a tarp over it can be placed over the pool.  Water should not be able to collect in the tarp.  Mosquitoes that can carry West Nile virus like to breed in sagging tarps that collect water and leaves.

Where can I get rid of my unwanted tires?
There are several tire business that take tires for a small fee.  Click here for a list.  The Fort Wayne - Allen County Department of Health does not endorse any of the companies listed.

Can I have poison bait for the mice in my house?
No.  Poison bait is placed around the outside of the house in burrows or bait stations to kill rats.  We recommend using snap or glue traps inside the house because children or pets could access the bait or the rodents could die in the walls.

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More Articles:   General Information • Animal Bites & Rabies • Bed Bugs • Children's Environmental Health Protection • Cockroaches • Indoor Air Quality • Meth Labs • Mold • Mosquitoes • Mosquitoes - Biology • Mosquitoes - Diseases • Mosquitoes - Prevention & Control • Pests & Other Vectors • Radon • Rats & Mice - Biology & Diseases • Rats & Mice - Control • Ticks • Unsanitary Conditions • Unwanted Refrigerators & Freezers • Integrated Pest Management

Photo Gallery

Click thumbnail to see large image.
  • This engorged American Dog Tick was pulled off a human. To prevent tick attachment, wear light-colored clothing, long pants with the bottoms placed into the top of socks, and apply a DEET-product to your clothing. Check your clothing and body after exiting a high grass or wooded area.
  • De-rimmed tires breed mosquitoes and can provide drinking water for rats. Culex species, ones that can carry WNv, and Ae. triseriatus, carrier of LaCrosse Encephalitis, use tires as a habitat when in the larval form. The sun heats the black rubber allowing for increased mosquito production, even when it is cool out. Tires should be properly disposed of or covered to prevent mosquito breeding.
  • A female Culex mosquito laying an egg raft, which can consist of 200-300 eggs.
  • Mold needs water to grow. Remove the water source and there won't be a mold problem.
  • The American dog tick is the largest tick in Indiana and can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
  • Sticky traps are a great tool to catch cockroaches.
  • Rats like to eat grease, as can be seen in the pan on the stove.
  • Educating the public on Vector-borne diseases is an on-going effort.
  • Ae. triseriatus, a carrier of LaCrosse Encephalitis, lays her eggs in treeholes and containers.
  • Mosquito larvae
  • Cockroach infestation in kitchen cabinet.
  • Mosquitofish can be placed into ornamental ponds to eat mosquito larvae. The fish only get to be an inch in length.
  • Un-maintained swimming pools are perfect for breeding the mosquitoes that can carry West Nile virus.
  • Double whammy for mosquito breeding - uncovered boat with un-rimmed tire in it.
  • Notice the pop can the rats tried pulling into a burrow.
  • This rat ate poison bait stored in a secure station.
  • Bed bugs do not transmit diseases, but their bites can become infected if scratched too much.
  • Ingredients taken from a meth lab that was found in a house.
Did You Know?

Long-term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States of America (EPA).

Free radon test kits are available through the Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health while supplies last. You can pick one up at the main office on the 5th floor of the City-County Building, 1 E. Main St., or at the Vecotr Control and Environmental Services office at 2242 Carroll Road.

 

Fort Wayne - Allen County Department of Health
1 E Main St, 5th Floor, Room 501 ♦ Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: 260 449-7561 ♦ Email: info@allencountyhealth.com
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