Phippen and her team use a backpack fan to treat areas by hand, but she says a key part of mosquito control is water level.
“When the water rises, the eggs that were laid in the soil 30 years ago get wet, and when those eggs get wet, the mosquito larvae immediately come out into the water and start to develop,” adds Phippen.
Phippen says there are few mosquito larvae this time of year, and with the dry heat, the mosquito population will drop significantly.
“The only thing that will kill them [adult mosquitoes] prolonged hot weather is known at this time. We noticed up North Thompson, people are finally starting to cut hay. They are about three weeks behind in their mowing. Collecting that hay in those nice, cool, shady spots where the adults like to hang out, but when they start getting sun exposure. That’s what’s going to knock them down until August comes around.”
While people think of mosquitoes as the evil bugs they look like, Phippen says some types of mosquitoes are actually good for the environment.
“Only females bite. They need blood meal – that extra protein – to develop their batch of eggs. Males are actually pollinators; they are a beneficial insect. We are often asked, “What is the use of mosquitoes?” They are good food in the mature and aquatic stages, and the males are pollinators of grasses.
Although the mosquito population may be lower right now, Phippen reminds people to use bug spray that contains Deet to prevent mosquito bites.
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