Brace yourself, aggressive and potentially harmful mosquitoes have colonized in SoCal. Non-native to the region, they’re not waiting to attack at dusk or just when you’re outside.
"Native mosquitoes bite at night. These bite in the daytime. While native mosquitoes need a large body of water, these can breed in a small bottle-cap of water," Robert Saviskas, the executive director of LA County West Vector Control told NBCLA in a previous report.
Aedes aegypti, aka the yellow fever mosquito, and Aedes albopictus, aka the Asian tiger mosquito, are believed to have arrived on a container ship from Asia two years ago.
Known for their signature long stiped tails, they’re an invasive breed and can carry diseases such as the Zika virus.
So far, they’ve been spotted in L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Tulare, Merced and more.
Mosquitoes are most prevalent in the summer months as people are watering lawns and gardens more, giving a robust breeding ground for mosquitoes to lay eggs. Additionally, they’ll breed in any standing water.
To protect yourself, use repellents with ingredients such as: DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535.