Getting bitten? Mosquitoes In SoCal Thriving Post-Hilary

(CTN News) – Are you feeling like you have been the target of mosquitoes lately?

There is no need to feel alone. Considering that Southern California has received an abundance of rain this year, it is no wonder that these pesky insects have been out in force.

There has been an increase in mosquitoes in the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District as a result of Tropical Storm Hilary, according to Susanne Kluh, general manager of the district. She explained that mosquitoes reproduce in standing water, so Tropical Storm Hilary is a boon to mosquitoes.

“If you think about how many bottle caps, lawn drains, saucers, and toolboxes that weren’t put away are now filled with water – and will be used to breed in the future,” she told the Times.

According to Kluh, the San Fernando Valley Sun, the large number of mosquitoes, including the invasive yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti, poses a much greater risk to humans than just irritating, itchy bites.

There is evidence that mosquitoes can infect people with West Nile virus, and yellow fever mosquitoes are known to transmit Zika virus, chikungunya, dengue fever, and of course yellow fever as their name suggests.

Additionally, to make matters worse, these mosquitoes are an invasive species that targets humans specifically, and that are capable of surviving in the harshest of environments.

There are these durable eggs that they lay that can last for up to a year or more, Kluh told The Sun. It is possible for them to stay dry, and if you put water back into the same container where the eggs are laid, they can hatch a long time after they have been laid. As a result of this, they can easily be transported around the world.”

Having said that, what can you do to ensure that you and your family are safe? CDC has provided some tips on how to prevent the spread of diseases:

• You should use insect repellents with an E.P.A. registration to protect yourself from insects.

• Make sure that you wear loose-fitting shirts and pants with long sleeves.

• Make sure that windows and doors are screened. To keep mosquitoes out of the house, you need to repair any holes in the screens.

• It is important to empty and scrub items that contain water once a week, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpots, and trash containers, to limit the ability of mosquitoes to reproduce.

• A mosquito net should be used if you plan on sleeping outdoors.

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