5 Tips for Reducing Mosquitoes in Your Yard!
July 7, 2021
Insect Update – Week of July 6th – Cattail mosquito “peak” is nowhere to be found
July 12, 2021
When you compare 2021 to the 10-year average you can see how quiet it has been for mosquitoes.
Results from the June 28th Monday night surveillance show overall mosquito numbers are far below average
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.
The results from the June 28th surveillance published by the MMCD entomology lab show that the week leading up to the 4th of July holiday had some of the lowest mosquito numbers in the past decade. According to MMCD Assistant Entomologist, Dr. Scott Larson: "We had two CO2 traps that collected more than 1000 mosquitoes, but numbers were pretty low overall...black flies were almost non-existent in the CO2s, however, the gravid traps were still really productive." The CO2 traps that collected the most mosquitoes were in northern Washington County and central Hennepin County.
Cattail mosquitoes (Coquillettidia perturbans) are beginning to appear and they tend to peak around the 4th of July, but their numbers are still down significantly compared to the 10-year average. We may see them in higher numbers on next week's maps.
VECTOR UPDATE: All mosquitoes tested for West Nile virus are negative
In his latest update MMCD Vector Ecologist Kirk Johnson said that 40 mosquito pools were tested for West Nile virus this week and all samples came back negative. This likely means that no mosquitoes collected in June have been found to be carrying West Nile virus. According to Johnson, "the median date for our first WNV positive mosquito pool is July 6th and the mean date of the first WNV positive mosquito is July 11th."
Despite the high number of Culex mosquitoes, which are the species most likely to carry West Nile virus, there have been no positive samples yet in our testing. However, several cases of human illness have been reported in our region including two in Iowa and one in North Dakota.
Learn how MMCD conducts RAMP tests for West Nile virus.
Don't Forget to Check for Ticks!
The dry weather may have slowed the mosquitoes down, but ticks remain a concern throughout the district. Deer ticks can spread Lyme disease and other illnesses, so be sure to check yourself, your kids, and your pets whenever you are in long grasses or wooded areas!
For the latest updates on mosquito control, disease activity, and planned treatments, follow MMCD on Twitter or Facebook.
