Iowa is seeing an increase in mosquitoes this summer due to heavy rainfall and flooding that occurred across much of the state.
While there are more mosquitoes present this summer than in the past few years, Hampton Public Works Director Doug Tarr tells RadioOnTheGo News the influx of these biting pests is nothing new.
*Tarr #1
“You know, we’ve been doing this a minute. I think this is my 19th summer here. And if people go back to 2008, 2010, 2012, we had some wet years. Anytime you have that standing water in the community, you’re gonna have mosquitoes. That’s all there is to it. We’re not gonna kill every mosquito in town, unfortunately. I think there’s been some forgetfulness. I think there’s folks out there that, boy, we’ve got mosquito problem this year. It’s the worst ever. And I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. It might be above normal a little bit this year because we have had some super rainfall amounts in June and early July here. And so that’s prompting all the standing water.”
Standing water can quickly become a safe haven for mosquitoes. Tarr says the city is trying to stay ahead with targeted mosquito spraying and there are steps the public can take to eliminate standing water in their yard.
*Tarr #2
“A thimble full of water can actually produce mosquitoes. A lot of people don’t understand sometimes why we prioritize our nuisance problems in town like the old tires sitting out back by the garage or we have a bunch of children’s toys or yard ornaments that collect water, different things like that. We try to help educate our citizens to the best of our ability and anytime that water can accumulate somewhere, it’s producing mosquitoes. It’s one of those years. I know the perception is that it might be the worst year ever. I don’t think that’s the case because we’ve had wetter years.”
Roughly 57 different species of mosquitoes have been found in Iowa. Though uncomfortable this time of year, the CDC recommends wearing long, lightweight clothing when outdoors.
