NEW HAVEN -- If you've been scratching yourself more this summer than last summer, that's because we already have a higher mosquito population than last summer
That's according to the Connecticut Agriculture Experiment Station in New Haven where college students and recent graduates test the mosquitoes for viruses that can cause human diseases.
Peak mosquito season should hit around July 4th.
While West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus are common mosquito borne illnesses in Connecticut, there is a low risk of contracting them.
"Over the course of the summer the virus will tend to amplify and in mosquito populations the time of risk is later in the summer in August and into September," Philip Armstrong, director Mosquito Monitoring Program.
Ticks are also something to worry about this summer. A local scientist said if you do get a tick bite make sure you pull it out completely, you can use tweezers to help, and put the tick in a plastic baggie and send it to your local health department to find out if the tick carried Lyme Disease.
Experts urge people to wear long-sleeved pants and shirts to protect yourself from mosquito or tick bites.
You can read more about the program here.
