Mosquito population up

Staff

Published Thursday, June 28, 2007

By Sarah Kirchner, staff writer

Mosquito season is well under way and Albert Lea is seeing a larger population of these common pests than last year.

Because the season was wetter and warmer earlier this year the bugs hit sooner in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, said Matt Welter of Mosquito Control of Iowa. He said the insects are reproducing more rapidly.

Continuous moisture and warm temperatures — which the area has seen lately — are ideal mosquito breeding conditions.

“They’re kind of weather dependent,” said Mike McLean, public information officer with Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in St. Paul. “The more rain we have the more mosquitoes we have.”

Mosquito populations are generally based on rainfall levels during the season, he said. In contrast to Albert Lea, the metro area has seen low mosquito counts so far this season because it has been relatively dry there.

Adult mosquitos lay eggs in pools of water that are shallow with relatively few predators. The multiple lakes in Freeborn County don’t cause the area’s mosquito population to go up because fish eat the pests as soon as they hatch.

The insects then tend to favor temporary pools of shallow water. It only takes one week during hot summer months for mosquitos to go from an egg to an adult, so water sitting idle for periods of time make prime breeding spots for the blood-sucking pests. Eggs will stay dormant in pools of water until the next significant rainfall, sometimes up to 10 years, McLean said.

“It’s one of the things that makes mosquitos so well adapted to our part of the world,” he said.

Breeding locations can include roadside ditches, stock tanks, child wading pools and old tires laying around that collect water. McLean suggested dumping water once a week that sits around the yard.

“Getting rid of those containers is really important, especially later in the summer,” he said.

Later in the season is often when people see the mosquito population decline, but it is also the time to be more concerned, McLean said. This is when mosquitos may have already bitten something and are biting again, making mosquito-borne diseases more prevalent. He said you should be wearing insect repellent until the first hard frost to make sure you’re safe.

“You start getting those mosquitos that are really pretty good at what they do,” McLean said. “Don’t let your guard down when it gets into the end of the summer.”

Don’t forget about your dog. McLean said the risk of heartworm in dogs is an issue in Minnesota, and if a dog doesn’t get a heartworm pill there is a good chance that dog will get infected.

There are two main types of mosquitos in Minnesota, the aedes vexan and the culex. The aedes vexan mosquito is known as a nuisance mosquito and lays eggs on rain waters while the culex is the local breed that can carry diseases and breeds on more permanent waters.

To avoid mosquito bites wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothes — mosquitos are attracted to dark colors — and bug spray. The pests are also attracted to light so don’t sit right under the porch light outside.

To help control the mosquito population in Albert Lea, the city contracts out to Mosquito Control of Iowa, which is based in Rolfe, Iowa.

Albert Lea has been sprayed for the past few years, since the last West Nile virus scare, said Jay Hutchison, director of parks and recreation for Albert Lea.

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