A hot and dry winter season is being blamed for what vector control specialists are identifying as an abnormally-high volume of mosquito calls.
Specialists with the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control report that the mosquito season has come a month early of when the season typically starts, with average daytime temperatures in February hovering around 80 degrees.
The district said that the heat, combined with a lack of rain, has created ideal conditions for mosquito breeding, which has the potential for increasing the likelihood for West Nile Virus transmission and the spread of the invasive Asian Tiger Mosquito.
“Our specialists are finding mosquitoes in sites that usually are not active until late March or even April,” said Jason Farned, public information officer for the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District in a written statement.
What little rain that has fallen is being trapped and held in areas prime for mosquito breeding, Farned said.
The district is asking residents to take the time to inspect their property and eliminate standing water, no matter how minimal the water may be and to protect against mosquito bites.
The district also wants residents to :
- Examine property regularly to identify, DUMP, or DRAIN standing water
- Call and REPORT mosquito activity, especially when mosquitoes bite during the day
- Call and REPORT green pools and standing water around the neighborhood
- Wear insect REPELLENT and LONG SLEEVES to prevent bites
- Keep screens tightly closed on windows and doors
Report mosquitoes by calling the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control at (626) 814-9466, or online at www.SGVMosquito.org.
