Spring Update – Cool Temperatures Slow Down Mosquitoes; More Predicted in 2023; Air Work Begins
April 27, 2023
Weekly Update – May 22nd – Adult Mosquitoes Surge, Annoyance Reports Pour In
June 1, 2023
Sarah K., Field Technician from the MMCD Oakdale facility treats mosquito habitat.
The first surveillance maps for 2023 show mosquitoes active in northern Anoka and Washington Counties and relatively quiet elsewhere. For now.
Every Monday night starting in mid-May through September, the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District sets out a variety of mosquito and black fly traps throughout the district and employs a network of sweep net collections done by employees and volunteers. Any insects collected are brought back to our lab on Tuesday to be identified throughout the week with maps published to show current mosquito and black fly activity.
Our first mosquito and black fly surveillance night of the year happened on Monday, May 15th when a combination of sweep net collections, CO2 traps, and other methods showed that mosquitoes are active in some parts of the metro, especially northern Anoka and Washington Counties.
According to MMCD assistant entomologist Scott Larson, "this is the time of year to see the larger collections of spring Aedes mosquitoes. A few traps had over 100 Aedes provocans each. That’s a lot of this species, and we know these mosquitoes can be infected with Jamestown Canyon virus locally. All the snow from the winter seems to really have helped this species boom this year." The first night of surveillance this year found quite a few more mosquitoes than we found at the same time last year.
May is typically when we begin to see an increase in biting gnats/black flies especially in areas close to rivers and streams. Black flies were found to be abundant in the south metro near rivers and streams in Dakota, Scott, and Carver Counties. Our crews seek to reduce black fly annoyance by using a control material in rivers and streams that is designed to specifically target black fly larvae and nothing else. If you are noticing high numbers of adult black flies, please use our Submit a Tip form and let us know!
Here are the mosquito trap counts from last Monday, May 15th:
MMCD field staff have been busy completing air and ground treatments after recent rain and in permanent water sites.
There have been a few big rain events already this spring, which have given mosquito larvae the conditions to develop in ponds, wetlands, and man-made habitats like containers throughout the District. Over the past two weeks helicopters have been active almost every day and prior to today our crews treated over 44,000 acres of mosquito habitat by air. Helicopters will be back up throughout the District this week treating cattail mosquito habitat. Cattail mosquitoes (Coquillettidia perturbans) are a unique species that over-winters as larvae by attaching to the roots of pond vegetation (often cattails) and emerges once per year, around the beginning of July.
Please help us out by reducing mosquito habitat on your property - check your yard after any rain to see if there is any standing water and eliminate it promptly.
Ticks are out in abundance - May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month!
It's a good reminder that while mosquitoes and other insects may not be abundant yet, ticks are active this time of year in Minnesota. Our field staff have been finding many ticks when out doing inspections and treatments for mosquitoes. Wood ticks ("American dog ticks") or deer ticks ("blacklegged ticks") are the most common in our area and the latter has the potential to transmit pathogens that cause Lyme disease. June is one of the peak months for Lyme transmission because nymph ticks are most active and their tiny size makes them hard to find.
Please be sure to check yourself, your kids, and your pets for ticks any time you are in a wooded area, long grasses, or any habitat that could be hospitable for insects. For more information on tickborne disease visit the Minnesota Department of Health website.
Here is a recent story about ticks from Alex Jokich of KSTP-TV:
For the latest updates on mosquito control, disease activity, and planned treatments, follow MMCD on Twitter or Facebook.
