NEW HAVEN -- Monday is the first day of trapping and testing mosquitoes here in Connecticut.
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment center will set traps at 92 locations across the state. They will begin testing these mosquitoes everyday to get an idea of any potential diseases these bugs may be carrying.
The diseases harmful to humans, West Nile and EEE don’t start to develop until end of June early July. There are no vaccines to prevent these diseases and no medicines for when/if someone gets infected. So experts say other way prevent are incredibly important.
Covering exposed skin when the bugs start biting or applying a mosquito repellent with active ingredient D is also very effective. Other tips would be dumping out any that can or has collected water at least once a week, and that’s not limited to large items.
Even the smallest areas such as a bag of potato chips that was left out are spots where larva can begin to grow. Areas of water are great breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Phillip Armstrong a scientist at Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Center explains, “The larva specialize in temporary bodies of water where there are no other predators and they get in and get out really quickly and that’s how they succeed."
This year there maybe a bit more mosquitoes due all the rain we received this spring. While they are expecting an increase in the population this year it is unclear whether that will translate to a risk of West Nile or EEE.