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The third-wettest April on record in La Crosse has made for ideal growing conditions for the annoying, biting insect, said Dave Geske, mosquito control officer for the La Crosse County Health Department.
The La Crosse area has had almost three weeks of heavy hatches, Geske said.
“The only areas not affected are where the water is too deep, but we’ll see them (mosquitoes) as the water level drops,” he said. “If this weather pattern continues, it’s going to be a terrible year in terms of mosquitoes.”
But it could have been a lot worse, he said, had this spring been warmer and sunnier.
“It helped really a lot having cooler temperatures,” he said.
But that could change, he warned. “If we get heavy rainfall and flooding, we’re in big trouble,” Geske said. “Also when we get hot, humid weather, these mosquitoes will progress farther.”
He and his staff have stepped up killing larva with environment-friendly bacteria or larvicide at 1,200 sites in the county. More money has been spent this spring on larvicide, Geske said, than most other years.
Two weeks ago, a windy day created water disturbances that drowned mosquitoes, he said.
At least these aren’t the disease-carrying varieties of mosquitoes. Starting next month, Geske will focus on the mosquitoes that cause La Crosse encephalitis and West Nile virus. “We spend most of time and money on mosquitoes that cause disease,” he said.
August and September are the peak months for La Crosse encephalitis and West Nile virus.
Geske recommends people empty any containers that can hold water and get rid of tires in yards. Boats can become perfect breeding places for mosquitoes this time of the year, he said.
Even with the flooding in the La Crosse area last August, Geske and his staff managed to successfully control mosquitoes to keep disease to a minimum. Only one West Nile case and two La Crosse encephalitis cases were reported in the area in 2007.
“It’s extremely important to have an aggressive treatment program like ours to knock down these mosquitoes early,” Geske said.
HOW TO ELIMINATE MOSQUITO BREEDING SITES
rainstorms.
hold enough water to breed mosquitoes.
Source: La Crosse County Health Department
Terry Rindfleisch can be reached at trindfleisch@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8227.
