(KRON) – More cases of West Nile Virus have been found throughout Contra Costa County and Santa Clara County. We are still in the thick of mosquito season, so people are being warned to stay proactive in preventing more of the insects from breeding.

In South San Jose and Sunnyvale, the Santa Clara County Vector Control District will be spraying for mosquitoes. 

These pests are breeding in standing water so it’s important to check even the smallest objects where water has collected near your homes and dump that water out. The Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District explains that the bugs can breed in a space even as small as a bottle cap.

Now consider unused pools or water fountains, and you have yourself a lot more room for the unwelcome pests to procreate and multiply. And the district reports West Nile Virus activity is intensifying.

We know mosquitoes carry the virus and spread it to people and animals. There were five dead birds and five groups of trapped mosquitoes that tested position in San Ramon, Concord, Pittsburg, and Oakley.

Here are some tips:

• If you find standing water in something like a bucket or an open water bottle, pour it out. The mosquito larva can’t survive once out of the water.
• If they are found in a fixed structure like a pool or water fountain, Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control can deliver special fish that will eat them.
• There is also liquid larvicide that can be purchased at a home and garden store.
• If you’re out at dusk or dawn, use a repellent.

Mosquitoes are also less likely to survive in running water. The district also offers a program to come out and inspect your property or deliver that fish if needed.