Flooding can cause boom in the mosquito population
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – With all the rainfall that has taken place over the last several days, it can contribute to a boom in the mosquito population.
Because of the flooding, there are more and more puddles along streets and sidewalks around Brazos Valley. A stagnant body of water is the perfect spot for mosquitos to quickly and aggressively produce.
Sonja Swiger, Ph.D., Professor in the Texas A&M University Department of Entomology and an Extension Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, says floodwater mosquitos are the first to emerge after rain events.
“The eggs were already sitting out there in the fields waiting for the rain and now once that rain started, it kind of started their life cycle so those ones will be close to hatching if they haven’t already hatched off,” said Swiger.
More rain means more mosquitos, showing up as soon as this weekend.
“It’s just gonna get more impacting than it’s been, you’ll definitely have larger numbers in the next couple of days than probably what people are used to,” said Swiger. “We are definitely going to see an increase in numbers before we see a decrease.”
Swiger recommends emptying any containers filled with water, using a repellent spray, and pouring out standing water built up on items like outdoor furniture or on top of trash cans.
“If you have containers that are out full of water, try and dump them as soon as you can, try to keep water to a minimum of collection around your place, and people should probably put on some mosquito repellent if they’re going to get outside because yes, the mosquitos are going to get heavy,” said Swiger.
Another way to prevent mosquitos is mosquito dunks. You can place one into a body of water and it releases a toxin that kills all species of mosquito larvae.
Mosquito Dunks
Both Bryan and College Station have a mosquito abatement program where residents can receive free mosquito dunks.
For residents in College Station, you can submit a request here. After the request is approved, one will receive a confirmation email. Using the confirmation email, one can pick up dunks at College Station City Hall, in the City Manager’s office.
“There are twelve tablets within this packet of dunks and each tablet is good for up to 6 days, it’s a free program for the city of College Station residents, they can find information on it on our city’s website,” said Taitelyn Morris, Neighborhood Services and Community Relations Coordinator with the City of College Station.
Bryan residents can click here for more information. One can call ahead or pick up dunks in person at the Municipal Service Center, located at 1111 Waco St.
“They are simple to use. You can put them out in any standing water currently or if you think an area will eventually flood with the rain. They will sit there and they actually float to the surface. Then they have a slow release to them. They usually last about 30 days,” said Kyle McCain, Solid Waste Operations Supervisor.
