By Jenna Troum (WSPA)

With all the rain we’ve seen in the past week, you’ve probably noticed mosquitoes buzzing around your yard.

Those little flying bloodsuckers are more than just an itchy inconvenience. They can transfer dangerous illnesses like West Nile and chikungunya viruses to you and your family.

Shane Skiles doesn’t take any chances with mosquitoes when his 2-year-old daughter plays in the yard of his Mauldin home.

“If we are outside during the day, like I said, she’s pretty much wrapped up and covered and we always have the bug spray close by,” said Skiles.

The Dept. of Health and Environmental Control is asking for help preventing the spread of those mosquito-borne illnesses.

You can submit dead crows, blue jays, house finches and house sparrows to DHEC for testing.

To safely collect and submit a dead bird from your yard for testing, you can either use gloves or pick the bird up with doubled clear plastic bags turned inside out and then invert the bag and seal the bird in. Keep the bird cool and bring it to a drop-off center in one or two days with this reporting sheet.

Last year, DHEC tested 27 birds. Two came back positive for West Nile virus.

In the meantime, Skiles said his screened-in porch helps keep the bugs from biting his daughter and fiancé.

“She gets bitten a lot, yeah. I feel bad for her,” said Skiles.

But the precautions they take aren’t always enough.

“We try not to leave too much food around to attract flies but it’s inevitable, having a pool, that we’re going to have some sort of bugs flying around,” said Skiles.

here are some steps you can take to eliminate mosquito breeding sites at your home:

– DHEC says clogged gutters are one of the most overlooked breeding sites, so make sure you clear out leaves, dirt and other debris from rain gutters and pipes regularly.

– Drain or fill any low places like potholes, where standing water collects.

– Empty or throw away any containers that have standing water, like buckets, flower pots, birdbaths and tarps used to cover grills or swimming pools.Not all cities or counties spray for mosquitoes. You can find mosquito control information for where you live here.

Last year, at least three South Carolinians tested positive for West Nile Fever or West Nile Encephalitis. DHEC says 17 people tested positive for chikungunya.