It may be the beginning of the end for mosquito season and West Nile virus fears in 2014.
For the first time since early in the year, morning low temperatures in the 30s are forecasted for the Denton County area in the coming days.
While there’s no hard end date to the mosquito season, most experts agree the first frost of the year followed by consistent below 50 degree weather gets rid of the bugs for the season.
Although that low of a low is yet to be seen, many mosquito experts are hopeful we are seeing the weather swing that way quickly.
"I think we're very close to the end of the season,” said Highland Village Street Supervisor Bob Parton.
Parton said the cooler temperatures over the last few days and weeks lead to a decline in mosquito numbers already. He said the 60 degree range tends to readily cut down on trappings in his experience.
The city hasn’t had a positive mosquito pool testing since early October and only had six weeks during 2014 so far with positive tests.
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Elsewhere in Denton County, Lewisville had 13 positive pools, Flower Mound reports nine and Denton had seven so far.
Countywide, the Health Department reports only four human cases of the illness this year; significantly down from the widespread West Nile virus outbreak North Texas experienced in 2012.
Parton attributes much of the success of lowering those numbers to the response from cities and counties; which has greatly improved in the last two years.
He said Highland Village began trapping early this year, immediately sprayed any positive test areas and got a good response from citizens reporting pooling water or large mosquito groupings to the city.
However, Parton said even when this season does die down the city will almost immediately begin planning to combat next year’s crop of mosquitoes.
The County Health Department said they will soon wrap up their mosquito surveillance on the season, as well.
