ST. PAUL, Minn. — Mosquito season is in full swing and some parts of the metro are worse than others.
“Every day is a little different, but it’s always very busy,” said Diane Crane, entomologist with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District.
Crane is swamped this time of year. Her team at MMCD says there are bugs exceeded the 10-year averagealso a marker hit last year.
“Always mosquitoes, all summer long,” she said.
According to MMCD spokesperson Alex Carlson, the organization broke a record last week with 315 calls and reports in one day – many of those calls coming from mosquito “hotspots.”
“This year it has been much rainier in May than in recent years,” Carlson said.
MMCD says Carver and Scott counties – places like Carver, Chaska, Belle Plaine and Jordan – currently have high mosquito counts, as does northern Anoka County.
Carlson says hotspots are caused by a combination of high water levels, heavy rainfall and even limited treatment areas. Drying in June and July could help.
“If we follow the past few years, we could be at our peak now,” Carlson said. “And then we’ll see a gradual decline for the rest of the summer. But again, the rain could change that.”
Removing standing water from your yard or neighborhood, and wearing light, loose, and long clothing will help repel the beetle. Experts cannot say how long it will take increase in swatting will stay.
“We’re kind of watching the rain. But right now we’ve had a lot of it. And there’s no real end in sight,” Carlson said.
If you feel like there are a lot of insects in your area, contact the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District.
Beret Leone
