LAKE COUNTY — For four years mosquito eggs rested along the shores of Clear Lake before hatching this spring because of high lake levels.
Some areas along the lake, including from south Lakeport to Clear Lake State Park and Clearlake to Clearlake Oaks, are being pestered by four years worth of the Aedes increpitus mosquito, Jamesina Scott of the Vector Control District said.
“They are aggressive, biting mosquitoes.”
They are just one of 23 different kinds of mosquitoes in Lake County.
All mosquitoes need standing water to develop and some lay eggs that can remain dry and dormant for a number of years, Scott said.
“There was a large hatch. It happens,” she said. “That”s the nature of living next to such a dynamic system.”
The long spring with windy and wet weather also prevented the district from spraying to kill larval and adult mosquitoes, she said. Now the district is using three systems to spray for adult mosquitoes.
Scott said it”s difficult to predict the level of mosquitoes this year and prevalence of the West Nile Virus because the bug population is based on weather. She said the Culex species transmit the virus and aren”t usually active until July, August and September.
While about 80 percent of people infected with West Nile Virus experience no symptoms, the remainder experience flu-like symptoms that can last for weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in 150 cases have serious symptoms, including high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.
Aside from the mosquitoes buzzing around now, the dog heartworm species is one of the most prevalent. They don”t bite humans, but dogs need heartworm medication to avoid infection.
Another species flying around for the next few weeks is the Western Tree Hole Mosquito that develops in rainwater collected in oak tree crevices. Scott said it”s difficult to combat that species.
“We”re in Lake County. If you look out your window there are more oak trees than you can count,” Scott said.
She said it”s a busy year for them as well.
If people are having a mosquito problem, they can call the Vector Control District at 263-4770 to request free spraying, mosquito fish or assistance. The office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Scott also recommends dumping out any standing water in yards, including birdbaths, kiddie pools and water on tarps. She said if people can”t dump out water in ponds, they can put mosquito fish in them. Residents can also buy mosquito dunks, a product that when placed in the water kills mosquito larvae for a month, at local hardware stores.
In order to avoid bites, people should try to stay inside at dusk and dawn when the mosquitoes are most active. If you go outside when mosquitoes are active, Scott recommends wearing long sleeves and pants and an EPA-approved mosquito repellant.
Contact Katy Sweeny at kdsweeny@gmail.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
