Free Fish To A Good Home

Alabama Mobile But they're not for YOU to eat.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Mon, June 22, 2009 - 7:07 pm CST Last Updated: Mon, June 22, 2009 - 7:39 pm CST

Did you know you can fight mosquitoes with fish?
The Mobile County Health Department is giving away free minnow to help control the mosquito population.
The program is meant for people with backyard ponds or ornamental pools.
The idea is to put the minnow in the water, because they eat mosquito larvae.
Matt Smith, an entomologist with the Mobile County Health Department, said the minnow "cruise the surface looking for food and that's where the mosquito larvae are, so, it's just the perfect fit."
Mobile County Health Department officials said you don't need a lot of fish to get results.
Smith said, "When the (mosquito) larvae hatch, they're extremely small, and one fish can go through that pretty quick."
Business is brisk.
Voncile Sadka of Mobile came to get fish.
She said, "I've been down here several times when they advertise it and, when I get here, they wouldn't have any."
Lorenzo Young said, "I think its wonderful, its a great idea: better than using insecticides."
News Five even ran into former Mobile School Superintendent Dr. Harold Dodge Monday picking up fish.
Dodge said, "We read about the mosquitoes and, this time of year, I thought, ''Well, its something we've got to do.' "
When asked if he might get a "school" of fish, Dodge said, "That would be great, yeah. But no board of fish."
The health department is giving away the free fish Monday through Friday from 3 pm until 4:15 pm at its Vector Control Compound at 750 Congress Street.

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