MONTEREY PARK, Calif. (KABC) — Mosquito control treatments will be conducted Wednesday and Thursday in Altadena and Monterey Park in an effort to reduce mosquito populations that create a significant public health risk, officials said.
Crews will use ultra-low volume adulticide and low volume larvicide applications to target mosquitoes at multiple life cycle stages to control the population and reduce the risk of mosquito-borne disease.
The extreme heat has shrunk breeding cycles in half, sparking urgent treatments to stop the spread of West Nile virus.
A lot of people associate mosquito season with wet weather and they do tend to come out following a storm because of rain water that collects and pools, however, experts say mosquitoes can absolutely be active in a heat wave — even without rain.
Mosquitoes only need a spoonful of water to lay eggs in and this intense heat, combined with humidity, has led to a spike in mosquito activity.
“The zappers do not work. They’re actually going to be killing a lot of other insects that may be beneficial to our environment. If you really want to get rid of mosquitoes, unfortunately you have to try to get rid of them when they’re in their aquatic state,” said Anais Medina Diaz, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District Communications Director. “It is so much easier to kill hundreds of little mosquito larvae when they are in the water than one where it’s flying already and has bitten you a few times. So this is why we concentrate a lot on tipping and tossing and then taking action. We want to get rid of that standing water.”
It’s a good time to stock up on the bug spray and take safety precautions at home to prevent mosquitoes.
Health officials recommend making sure to eliminate any pockets of standing water that can collect in rain gutters, discarded tires, buckets or anything that holds water for more than a week. And really focus on things that you might not think of, such as pet dishes, bird baths and drip trays under outdoor and indoor plants because mosquitoes can easily live inside your home as well. They also recommend ensuring swimming pools, spas and ponds are property maintained.
And of course, apply that mosquito repellant or maybe grab a buggy band before heading outdoors.
City News Service contributed to this report
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