Wet weather leads to booming mosquito population

Experts say wet weather this year has led to a booming mosquito population in parts of Michigan.

Linda Vail, Ingham County’s health officer, tells the Lansing State Journal it’s been one of the area’s biggest years for mosquitoes.

Health experts urge residents to apply repellents during peak mosquito biting periods, such as dusk and dawn, and to drain standing water around their homes to remove mosquito breeding sites. Mosquito repellent products also are recommended.

Howard Russell, an entomologist for Michigan State University’s Plant Soil and Microbial Sciences Department, says a dry March and April virtually eliminated spring mosquitoes. However, summer mosquitoes have benefited from recent heavy rains.

Russell says the new batch has been “pretty awful.”  (AP)