Recent rain showers and high humidity have set the scene perfectly for a jump in mosquito activity in Western Pennsylvania.
That’s why Karen Poh, a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State University’s Department of Entomology, said she isn’t surprised there has been an uptick in mosquito activity in the region.
Mosquitoes lay eggs in water, she explained, and mosquito larvae require water to survive. So rainy weather and sitting water make for ideal mosquito breeding grounds.
Adam Witt, president of Witt Pest Management, said he has gotten hundreds of calls requesting help with mosquitoes. His company services Allegheny, Armstrong, Fayette, Washington and Westmoreland counties, among other Western Pennsylvania locations.
“I think there’s a lot more moisture, and mosquitoes lay their eggs in water,” he said, adding he has noticed a trend in more mosquito- related calls over about three years.
For those who are trying to ward off mosquitoes without calling a pest management service, Witt said it’s imperative to get rid of standing water outside. He pointed to buckets, gutters, bird baths and flower pots as potential problem areas that frequently need to be dried out.
“The most important thing is reducing mosquito breeding locations, especially in your yard,” he said.
Oscillating fans are another way to deter mosquitoes, said Thomas Kendrick, owner of Tarentum-based Pro-Kill Professional Exterminators.
“They’re not strong fliers, so they don’t like to fly into the wind,” he said.
For people with fish ponds or other items that hold water, Poh recommended larvicides that will kill mosquito larvae in the water.
But it doesn’t take much water to create a hotspot for mosquito activity, she said.
“Mosquitoes can breed in water as little as a bottle cap,” she said.
Mosquitoes have been keeping Josh Miser and his 2-year-old daughter from enjoying time outside. At their home near Frick Park, mosquitoes are out in force and start biting as early as 10 a.m. — something, he said, that isn’t normal for the area.
“We haven’t been able to enjoy our backyard nearly as much this summer because of it,” Miser said, adding his young daughter gets “pretty noticeable reactions” from mosquito bites.
It’s not uncommon for them to get five or six bites each after just 20 minutes outside, he said.
Miser has tried various bug sprays and a repellant lamp, but they are not helping enough to alleviate their mosquito concerns every time they go outside.
The mosquito activity at his home, he said, is “definitely a noticeable increase from previous years.”
There has been an overall increase in pest activity over recent years, Kendrick said. He thinks the pest problems are worse in years when there is no late frost in the spring to kill off some of the insects.
But mosquito activity will begin dying down soon, Witt said. Their season typically spans from March to October.
In the meantime, Poh recommended ridding yards of sitting water, draining gutters and using repellents that meet Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations.
The CDC has reported five cases of West Nile virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, in Pennsylvania so far this year. None of them were fatal.
West Nile Virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States and causes symptoms such as fever in about one in five people infected, according to the CDC. About 1 in 150 infected individuals develop serious illness, which can be fatal.
Allegheny County earlier this month reported its first human case of West Nile Virus since 2018, afflicting a man in Aspinwall.
“It’s relatively rare” to see human cases of the virus, Poh said, though it’s the most common mosquito-borne illness in the commonwealth.
Other mosquito-borne illnesses — such as malaria, yellow fever and dengue — happen elsewhere, but aren’t transmitted locally in Pennsylvania, she said.
Julia Felton is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Julia at 724-226-7724, jfelton@triblive.com or via Twitter .
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September 24, 2021 at 05:00PM
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Increased mosquito activity in Western Pa. spurred by recent rain, high humidity - TribLIVE
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