Many people have started swatting and slapping as mosquito season has already arrived.
Mosquito traps in Grapevine, Mesquite and Balch Springs have tested positive for the West Nile virus.
“You’re right at the start of mosquito season,” associate certified entomologist Kevin Kasky said. “We had a very mild winter, so that’s giving them a fast start headed toward springtime when they really start to pick up.”
Kasky is also the owner of All American Pest Management and keeps a close eye on the insect populations in North Texas and the factors that affect them.
“Last year was starting out to be a very bad year and when we got that second bout of rain, it sort of cleaned out a lot of the breeding sights so it knocked it back a little bit,” he said. “If we don’t get a lot of rain that flushes out those breeding sites, what ends up happening is they just continue to breed.”
Kasky said the milder temperatures will affect the mosquitoes.
“We don’t really get winter kills here in Texas because we don’t have a frost line. They just burrow down six to eight inches because it is 68 degrees down there and they are just as happy as a clam,” he said. “Then they just emerge up. But it does slow them down from breeding and feeding.”
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Kasky reminded North Texas residents to take proper precaution such as using repellent and paying attention to standing water.
“Another thing people fail to realize is that not only do mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water, they will also lay eggs where there will be standing water,” he said. “They know 'If I lay my eggs here, they attach it to divots in the grounds.' When the rains come it’s going to fill up with water and those eggs will hatch out.”
