Wet Vermont summer a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – It’s been a wet summer, making Vermont the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

“It seems like there are more mosquitoes because there are more mosquitoes,” said Patti Casey, the director of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture’s Mosquito Surveillance Program.

Casey says even during the dry start of the season, they counted 50% more mosquitoes than last year, topping their annual average by 100%.

“We may not be at the height of it yet,” she said.

Casey says even with limited surveillance after flooding, the numbers continue to rise. That’s largely because mosquitoes lay eggs in water and live longer in damp environments.

“When the rivers recede, there’s water impounded in places it doesn’t normally reach. So the higher the flood, the further out the reach is going to extend for those impounded waters,” she said.

Casey says the week right after the flood they could only access 30% of their surveillance sites. Even then, the number of mosquitoes was still up about 30%. At this point, some species are still reproducing.

“Depending on the temperature of the water, it can take five days for eggs to go from temperature to on the wing, so we may not be at the height of it yet,” Casey said.

So far, the Vermont Department of Health has not reported any cases of West Nile virus or EEE in people, nor have any insects tested positive for the viruses.

“It’s really important for people to protect themselves always. We may be in for a lot more mosquitoes this year,” Casey said.

She says people can do that by covering up, avoiding being out during peak times for mosquitos like dawn and dusk, and wearing EPA-approved repellent.

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