Mosquito in De Pere, August 30, 2021. PC: Fox 11 Online
WISCONSIN (WTAQ-WLUK) – With more rain, heat and humidity in the forecast, you might want to grab an extra bottle of bug spray. Those conditions are a perfect storm for mosquitoes to breed.
It’s a busy time of year for crews from the Mosquito Squad.
According to owner Andy Ratka, “We are working sun up to sundown right now, trying to protect people’s properties.”
The wet start to summer isn’t helping in their battle against mosquitoes. “We’ve had so much rain that it provides an ideal environment for mosquitoes to repopulate,” said Ratka.
And with hot and wet conditions persisting, the mosquito issue won’t be getting better, anytime soon. Instead, it’s going to get worse.
Ratka added, “We expect there’s going to be another hatch here, coming up shortly, probably closer to that Fourth of July timeframe.”
Standing water, whether in a culvert in front of your house or sitting in a downspout in the backyard, is a potential breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“All it takes is for a bottle cap for a mosquito female to lay 300 eggs and ruin someone’s night. So, it’s just a tiny amount and if you can find that little bottle cap worth of water it goes a long ways,” said Ratka.
That’s why, after rains like we saw over the weekend, people need to try and clear any standing water from the property. Doing so will help to eliminate spaces where mosquitoes can breed.
“They want to find any standing water that they have on their property, tip that out, turn it over. Find any tarps that they may have on their property, maybe covering wood or patio furniture – tip out that standing water. It’s going to go great lengths for providing a better Fourth of July experience for those homeowners that maybe have some standing water,” added Ratka.
Taking care of yourself, when you go outside is important too.
“You can wear EPA registered bug repellant. You can wear long sleeves, loose clothing. If you have children you can make sure they’re wearing loose covered clothing. You can also do things, like when you go outside, putting nets on baby carriers or playpens,” said Anna Nick with the Brown County Health Department.
And while these steps won’t completely eliminate the mosquito problem, they could help and we’re expecting these pesky bugs to be around for several more months.
West Nile virus is always a concern during mosquito season. But according to the CDC, there are currently no reports of human cases in Wisconsin.
Comments