Mosquito populations increase thanks to runoff and heat wave

CACHE VALLEY, Utah — The number of mosquitoes is increasing, partly thanks to our heat wave and our abundant water year. But clearance teams are using technology to help fight back.

The Bear River is creating much more breeding ground for mosquitoes, already in a year where there are signs it could be a busy time for West Nile virus.

Cache County Mosquito Abatement District Manager Richard Rigby said their new drones can help combat this age-old mosquito control problem.

“So hopefully it’ll be better coverage and we’ll get a more even spread as well,” Rigby said. “Last Thursday we had almost 120 acres just with the drone.”

Wasatch front districts have started using drones in recent years. Cache County just got theirs at a time when Rigby said he was seeing a big increase.

“Last week, an increase of about 60% compared to the same period last year,” he said.

The neighborhood drone sprays pellets to kill mosquitoes. (Mike Anderson/KSL TV)

A problem that comes from an abundance of standing water pushed in as our high temperatures help mosquitoes grow faster. Rigby said the flooded farmland left behind plenty of pools for egg laying.

“Specifically in the northern end of the county that jumped,” he said.

Meanwhile, Davis County is already reporting finding West Nile virus in mosquitoes around Syracuse. Earlier than normal signs of illness could be a sign of a busy season ahead.

This is another reason why it is worth covering more ground, because the pellets fall from the sky.

“But 70% of what we’re really doing is going out and trying to find the larvae in the water and processing them to get more bang for their buck, so to speak,” Rigby said.

His team is still grappling with a familiar problem. Rigby said each mosquito season seems to have its own set of challenges.

“We are here every day trying to achieve what we can, luckily our products will last up to 21 days,” he said.

Rigby said as a reminder, remove any standing water from your garden, use mosquito repellent and if you’re going out at dusk, ideally you should wear long pants and long sleeves.