Less water doesn’t mean fewer mosquitos
Jul 13, 2021, 7:08 AM | Updated: 8:14 am
(photo: Getty Images)
DAVIS COUNTY, UTAH — Mosquitos love hot weather — and Utah has plenty of it this summer. The lack of water across Utah lakes and reservoirs doesn’t mean we’ll see fewer mosquitos though.
“We’re seeing numbers now like we normally would in our peak, the end of July, first part of August,” Gary Hatch, director of Davis County’s Mosquito Abatement District, told KSL 5 TV’s Mike Anderson.
The concern from health officials is the species of mosquito they are finding the most is the Culex tarsalis, which carry West Nile disease.
Hatch said, “We have detected West Nile Virus earlier than we ever have.”
Read more: Abatement Crews Struggle As Mosquitoes Multiply In Utah
Meanwhile, officials in Idaho are also reporting West Nile cases. The Southeastern Idaho Public Health identified West Nile Virus mosquitos near the Idaho/Utah border for this year. The positive pool is located on the west side of Bear Lake.