Wet June Triggers Mosquito Explosion

Beware of mosquitos. They’re everywhere this year.

There has been an explosion of mosquitos this summer, according to Al Gettman, the abatement coordinator for the RI Department of Environmental Management.

DEM sets traps to catch mosquitos so it can monitor diseases carried by the insects, such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encaphilitis (EEE). And if nothing else, DEM has seen a significant increase in the number of mosquitos snared in the traps.

“I’ve been here 21 years,” Gettman said. “I’ve never seen so many mosquitos. Much more than I’ve ever seen before.”

Blame the wet weather. June had a lot of rain. And mosquitos lay eggs wherever there is standing water, including puddles and empty cans or pots with stagnant water that can lead to the birth of thousands of the blood-sucking insects.

A July with much less rain will help get rid of the mosquitos, who live for about three weeks. Larvacides distributed to towns like Barrington by DEM and then placed in catch basins and other wet spots by DPW workers also will help to cut into the mosquito population.

But that still leaves possible breeding grounds in back yards, where mosquitos will lay eggs in stagnant water. And then come looking for warm bodies.