Bug bites are just part of being outdoors, but a lot of people in San Diego are complaining that they're getting bit a lot more and that the bites are considerably more irritating. As if 2020 wasn't difficult enough, it appears that the species of mosquito plaguing San Diego is not only more aggressive, but it also likes to come out and play during the day!
It's known as Aedes aegypti. Originally from Africa, the Aedes has spread across the globe to areas with temperate climates and lots of people. It's an invasive species that was first detected in Southern California back in 2014 but had only been prevalent in Mexico and Arizona until this year. Ecologists aren't quite sure why the Aedes have descended on San Diego.
There are approximately 2,000 species of mosquitoes in the world and 27 types in San Diego.
The Aedes enjoy filling up on human blood, which it uses to provide nourishment to its eggs. The species can lay anywhere from 200 - 300 eggs during its 100 day life cycle and they can do so in unusually small amounts of water. Larvae can survive in as little as a 1/4" of standing water and the eggs hatch within 2-3 days of being laid.
In an interview with NBC 7 San Diego, Chris Conlan, supervising vector ecologist at the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, said "The most important consideration with Aedes is that they breed in small container-type sources that are commonly encountered in many backyards, so it's not hard for them to set up shop," Conlan said. "So it's imperative to check properties for standing water and eliminate it…. They don't fly very far -- 300 feet or so -- so eliminating sources in yours and neighboring yards can reduce the problem significantly."
View the San Diego County Aedes activity map.
The County of San Diego issued the following notice:
Invasive Aedes mosquitoes have been identified in your area. These day-biting mosquitoes are aggressive biters, especially on the ankles and legs, and are capable of transmitting diseases such as dengue and Zika. Protect your family against mosquito bites by following three simple steps.
1. Prevent mosquito breeding! Dump out standing water that has collected around your home, even in small or hidden sources, such as buckets, saucers under potted plants, and landscape drains. Cover openings in rain barrels with mosquito-proof screen. Review our prevention checklist for more ideas on where to look for standing water at bit.ly/SDPrevent
2. Add mosquito fish (available free of charge from the County) or a mosquito larvicide (available for purchase at home and garden stores, follow all instructions on the label) to water in backyard ponds, fountains, and unfiltered pools.
3. Prevent bites by using an EPA-approved mosquito repellent containing DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, Para-menthane-diol, 2-undecanone, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.
For more information about mosquitoes, how to obtain mosquito fish, and how to report green pools, dead birds, or high levels of mosquito activity, visit SDFightTheBite.com.
Photo Credit: Getty Images