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KAYSVILLE — Concern over the West Nile virus has spread, as more than 40 test pools — a group of captured mosquitoes — showed positive results in Davis County.
The next wave of floodwater mosquitos experts are concerned about are not the ones that carry the virus — but they are a nuisance. The Davis Mosquito Abatement District is busier than in most years, working to keep up, in part, by spraying wetlands.
A busy season was expected because of a strong water year and an extended heat wave Utah is experiencing. Those two factors typically lead to lots of mosquitoes and an active summer.
As workers try to get a good sample of the situation, district director Gary Hatch said the Davis district is testing more than anywhere in the state. So far, no human cases have been reported, but out of 3,000 pools, 39 have returned the virus.
"We could see that our culex tarsalis numbers were really starting to get way above normal, and with the heat that was coming on in this, in June and the end of July, we could see that there could possibly be a big virus year for us," he said. "Thirty-nine pools by this time of year is a lot."
In monsoon season, crews are proactive in covering as much of the wetlands as possible.
Hatch said homeowners need to do their part, too; even though floodwater mosquitoes don't carry West Nile virus, they can be a big nuisance.
"Definitely check standing water around your house with all this rain. ... Make sure you don't have buckets and pails and wheelbarrows and kiddie pools and things like that are sitting out there collecting water," Hatch said.
Hatch knows more of the floodwater mosquitoes are coming.
"That's the tan-colored aedes dorsalis, the tan-colored mosquito; bites all day long. We will see a big increase in those in about 10 to 12 days," Hatch said.
That increase is something to be prepared for. As long as the summer temperatures remain high, the insects will stick around.
"When you get the heat and all the water and the mosquitoes to combine with that, it really makes the virus amplify and go quite active," he said.
However, mosquitos that carry West Nile virus typically bite after dusk, so if you're going to be out at that time, Hatch recommends long sleeves, pants, and repellant, especially after the sun goes down.
