State officials say before the leaves come out and brush gets thick, people should get rid of any old buckets, tires and tarps on their property that could fill with rainwater and become breeding areas for mosquitoes. Mike McLean with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District says mosquitoes that develop in the sort of junk people leave around tend to be the kind that can spread certain diseases. McLean says, “Clean that stuff up and it’ll go a long ways towards reducing your risk.” Mosquitoes carrying La Crosse encephalitis commonly lay eggs in areas that hold stagnant rainwater for several weeks. And while mosquitoes that carry Zika virus have not been found in Minnesota, they breed in the same kinds of small containers.