CHANDLER — If mosquitoes have been swarming your backyard, you are not alone. Recent rain has set off a surge across the Valley, ABC15 reported.
Maricopa County Environmental Services says mosquito activity spikes about four or five days after storms. John Townsend, the county’s vector control division manager, told ABC15 that daytime biters are mostly a nuisance, while nighttime mosquitoes are the bigger concern for West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis.
The county traps and tests mosquitoes at hundreds of sites each week. A few more mosquitoes have tested positive for West Nile this year than last, and the public health department reports a slight increase in West Nile illness, ABC15 reported.
With more rain in the forecast this week, health officials generally recommend dumping standing water around homes, wearing EPA-registered repellent and covering up at dusk and dawn.
Residents can report mosquito problems or standing water to Maricopa County Environmental Services.
Sources: ABC15. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Scotted400 / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
