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Lora Young, director of communications for OCMVCD, said these pesky parasites are mostly noticeable because they are the ones causing pain throughout Southern California.
“Especially with the Aedes mosquito. They are very aggressive mosquitoes that bite during the day and they prefer to bite people where our other mosquitoes prefer to bite birds,” Young said.
Young said the numbers for the southern household mosquito – it is the one that is capable of carrying West Nile virus – tend to be around the average over the past five years.
So far, there are no reports of West Nile virus in OC this season, but the LA County Public Health Department reported its first human case last Tuesday.
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Aedes, or ankle biters, also known as container breeders, are breeding more than ever.
Young said it’s because they’re intrusive.
Their entry into the United States dates back to a shipping container in 2015, and since they’re not from here, they really don’t have any natural predators to control them. That combined with the heat is a recipe for breeding disaster.
“By this weather right now, with the heat, they can go from egg to adult in seven days,” Young said.
To avoid getting bitten, Young recommends an EPA registered repellant with DEET, picaridin, or lemon eucalyptus oil and removing the water sources they need to reproduce.
“We call them container breeders because they prefer to breed in small containers, garden drains, flowerpot saucers, any plant that has water in it, like bromeliads, lucky bamboo – things like that, ”Young said.
Agency staff set up more than 100 traps per week across the county to track mosquito numbers and test them for disease.
Anyone who thinks there is a problem with their property can call vector control. They will send inspectors to see.
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