Carlson said mosquito season usually runs from mid-May to September in Minnesota.
The MMCD started seasonal monitoring of adult mosquitoes this week. Field teams will set 200 traps around the twin cities, which will then be returned to their laboratory for testing and analysis.
“It’s looking pretty good so far. Temperatures have stayed pretty mild and when the water temperature is a little cooler,” he said. “It takes a while for the larva to develop. That means that not that many adults have emerged yet.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS accompanied the mosquito technician Jennifer Kanz when she examined a pond in White Bear Lake for mosquitoes.
“I found them here a few weeks ago and they haven’t recovered since then,” said Kanz.
Kanz also swept along a line of forest to bite mosquitoes, a particularly aggressive species of black fly that made many Minnesotans uncomfortable last summer.
“We got all these pictures that people sent us of young children with their necks all clenched,” said Carlson. “It’s not a new species, but it’s one that we don’t normally see very high numbers of. So last year was kind of an anomaly. All of a sudden they came out in full force.”
Carlson said MMCD didn’t have a permit to treat local waterways for biting mosquitoes last year, but they did get permission for this season so Minnesotans should see relief in the weeks ahead.
“We’ve taken care of those who are actively living in rivers and streams where they’ll likely show up so hopefully it’s a little early to say so, but hopefully we’ll see less of them this year,” Carlson said.
Metropolitan Mosquito Control encourages the public to use its new online tip form Report mosquito, blackfly and tick activity.
