GREENVILLE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Fall is officially here but one pesky part of summer isn’t going away just yet: mosquitoes.
Local pest companies say they’re still out in full force, trying to ward off mosquitoes.
“I’ve seen properties in Northeast Wisconsin, specifically this year, with upwards of several million mosquitoes,” owner of Mosquito Squad Andrew Ratka said.
He tells FOX 11 these bloodsucking menaces are at the top of their game, even in September, for two reasons – warm temperatures and water.
“Anytime you have standing water and heat mixed together, you’ll see a large population of mosquitoes to follow. It leaves the females a lot of opportunities to lay their eggs.”
Ratka says recent heat and heavy rains made the perfect recipe for mosquitoes to make their mark all over Wisconsin.
“One female mosquito can be responsible for up to one billion mosquitoes in the course of a month.”
And, Ratka says we could be swatting at these little nuisances for at least a few more weeks.
“What we typically see as a first frost is between somewhere now, and about the second/third week in October. Once that first frost hits, that mosquito population is really going to start to die down.”
Mosquitoes are more than just a pester, they’re a real threat for Greenville homeowner Krista Kurtzweil’s family.
“It was very bad, and my youngest is very allergic to mosquito bites, so he would swell.”
And they’re becoming a real danger to many across the country now too.
The year 2019 is turning out to be a big year for the Eastern equine encephalitis virus or Triple E.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported about seven cases per year since 2013. This year, there have been 28 total cases and seven deaths. According to the CDC, those are the highest Triple E numbers in more than 50 years.
Kurtzweil tells FOX 11 those statistics are concerning.
“With the different outbreaks that there’ve been, it is a big deal. I’ve got little kids and pets, so it’s very important to us that we keep our family protected.”
Health officials say the best way to prevent a Triple E virus infection is to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes.
Pest control companies say if you can eliminate standing water around your property, you can reduce the mosquito population greatly.
