Floodwaters might convey a brand new kind of mosquito this spring, summer season

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MURRAY — With spring across the nook, Utahns are already getting bugged by mosquitos, and the flooding is anticipated to convey much more of them.

Wildlife officers stated the Kennecott Nature Heart alongside the Jordan River hasn’t been a mosquito downside space the previous few years, however this 12 months is completely different.

“We’ll be very, very busy,” stated Daniel McBride, assistant director of the South Salt Lake Valley Mosquito Abatement District.

McBride defined that the animals that reside on this pure wetland, like fish and frogs, normally hold the mosquito inhabitants in test. However this 12 months, mosquitos are popping out of their hibernation stage with much more water for replica.

“As a result of they form of naturally lay their eggs in flood zones, as a result of we’re anticipating to have extra flood zones, we’ll have a lot, rather more of those flood water mosquitos,” he stated.

And these floodwater mosquitos are additionally extra aggressive as they chunk tougher and harm. Fortunately, they do not carry ailments that would harm people.

McBride stated the form of mosquito that carries West Nile virus like everlasting water sources and containers stuffed with water.

“Buckets, gutters that have not been cleaned out, perhaps an outdated horse trough, perhaps even a cup you neglected if you had been enjoying outdoors. Do away with that water,” he warned.

In the meantime, mosquito abatement groups are working to take away standing water. And McBride warns householders to do the identical.

“The issue is just not essentially the flooding, it is in regards to the two weeks after the flooding. It is all of the locations that the water form of settles and sits,” McBride stated. “That’s the prime breeding areas for mosquitos.”

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Shelby Lofton