MINNEAPOLIS — April showers bring May flowers, but they also bring mosquitoes. The buzzing, bites and bumps are back.
“We found our first larva at the end of February, we usually don’t have it till April or early May, said Alex Carlson, Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) Public Affairs Manager.
But with the blast of winter in February and recent rain, Carlson said it’ll be a normal year.
“We are expecting to see quite a few spring mosquitoes that’ll be coming out of the water in the next couple weeks,” Carlson said.
MMCD field crews are out surveying wetlands before sending samples to its St. Paul lab.
That’s where technicians like Carey Lamere determine the type of mosquito and size before a helicopter treatment can begin.
“Sizes are still on the small size we have time to go get our treatments in,” Lamere said, looking through a microscope.
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Choppers spray chemicals that prevent baby mosquitoes from becoming biting adults.
“The bigger it is we know we have a limited window to get materials in water to control those mosquitos if they’re the species we want to target,” Carlson said.
Even after treatment, Carlson says it’s tough to say how many mosquitos will have to swat away
“It’s looking like we might be in a dryer year but it’s hard to say this far out, all it takes is a couple of heavy rains and mosquitos are back,” he said.
Studies have shown the following can attract mosquitoes:
- Beer
- Specific blood types
- Pregnancy
- Sweating
The best way to keep them away is to use bug spray with DEET in it.
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- Mosquitoes
