Weekly Update – June 15th – Cattail Mosquitoes Begin to Emerge
June 15, 2026
Adult mosquito numbers remain below average in both our priority 1 and 2 areas.
Dry conditions are keeping mosquito numbers low for the 6th straight week of below-average collections.
It's a familiar story this week - overall mosquito numbers are quite a bit below average...again. Due to dry conditions throughout the spring and early summer, our main floodwater mosquito species (Aedes vexans), has been pretty quiet keeping May and June a low month for mosquitoes. Some mid-week rain last week may affect the number of mosquitoes that are collected tonight, but we will find out in next week's update.
Early July usually brings a combination of floodwater mosquitoes and cattail mosquitoes, which is why the first week of July has that spike in the 10-year average. Cattail mosquitoes first started to emerge in noticeable numbers last week and they were scattered throughout the District this week, though we are still probably early for their annual 4th of July peak.
NOAA and the National Weather service are predicting that June, July, and August will have below average precipitation, so it could simply be that we are in for a light mosquito year.
As always, however, apply your bug spray! This week's District Maps show lower-than-average numbers, but our Culex mosquitoes are slowly increasing as the summer progresses. These drought-resistant vectors are popping up around the Cities; luckily, our scientists haven't yet detected West Nile Virus in the Twin Cities this year. Please help us keep Culex mosquito numbers down by eliminating standing water in your own yard!
It's National Mosquito Control Awareness Week!
This week is National Mosquito Control Awareness Week where abatement districts from around the country come together to share the importance of the work we do to protect public health. MMCD will be sharing highlights on our social media pages throughout the week focusing on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the many steps we take to ensure controlling mosquitoes is effective, safe, and environmentally-sensitive.
Check out our Integrated Pest Management video below and follow us on social media this week for more:
Upcoming Events
Come out and see staff from the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District at one of these upcoming events:
- Tuesday, June 23rd - Anoka Family Safety Fair in Anoka
- Thursday, June 25th - Monthly Community Connection in Little Canada
- Thursday, June 25th - Summer Stinkers Presentation in St. Louis Park
- Friday, June 26th - Kaposia Days Parade - South St. Paul
- Saturday, June 27th - Ted Bearth Grande Parade - Oakdale
Would you like MMCD to come to your event or speak to your group? E-mail Alex Carlson!
Video of the Week - Integrated Pest Management
For National Mosquito Control Awareness Week, we've created a new video focusing on Integrated Pest Management. Check it out:
Win an MMCD T-Shirt!
Here is your chance to win either the new MMCD Attack Larvae T-Shirt or last year's Laser Loon shirt. Sign up for "The Weekly Buzz" newsletter with Weekly Mosquito updates. Each week there will be a trivia question at the end. Two correct answers each week will get a shirt!
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