With drier and colder temperatures than year’s past, the mosquito population has been kept down thus far in the Albert Lea area, said Rich Welter with Mosquito Control of Iowa.

But, as soon as there is a heavy mosquito hatch — which could be any day now — the company will begin spraying in the city to try to minimize the insect.

“We’re trying to monitor to find out when we’re getting the hatch,” Welter said. “Probably within a week we’ll start spraying, depending on the weather.

“When they get a heavy hatch, we like to spray right after that. That way before they lay the next batch of eggs, we’re killing two generations in one.”

Mosquito Control of Iowa is the company the city has hired to keep the mosquitos under control. The company will use aerial and ground spraying.

Welter said in normal conditions the company’s employees usually spray on Wednesdays, but that may vary initially depending on when they can get the best effects based on weather, mosquito population and species.

The company notifies people who are concerned with the spraying, and oftentimes, those people help keep the company updated on special events and activities in the city, he said.

While the mosquito control company mostly deals with the aedes vexan species of the insect, Welter said this year he is expecting a new species of mosquito: the Japanese rock pool mosquito.

This species, which is capable of carrying diseases, debuted in Iowa and Minnesota across the Mississippi River last year and is expected to develop across the region, he said. Mosquito researchers did not know until this spring if the species would be able to survive the Iowa and Minnesota winters, but it has.

“They will be here, but in what numbers we do not know,” Welter said.

There’s still a lot to learn about the species, but it is known that they are container breeders, which means they will breed in tires, eave spouts and anything where there’s a little bit of standing water.

The mosquito was accidentally imported into the United States several years ago and has been spreading ever since.

That species, along with other species of mosquitoes, 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.

Breeding locations can include roadside ditches, stock tanks, child wading pools and old tires laying around that collect water. Those should be dumped once a week.

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.

Mosquito spraying in Albert Lea this year will be charged on residents’ water bills in what will be a quality-of-life fee.