Rainfall spurs mosquito hotspots in the Twin Cities
After mosquitoes nearly vanished during last year's drought, the unwelcome return of the blood-thirsty bugs is catching some Twin Cities residents off guard.
The current rise in mosquitoes — brought on by last month's heavy rainfall — is prompting many phone calls to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District.
However, Alex Carlson, the district's public affairs coordinator, said mosquito counts are actually lower than the numbers recorded at this time in 2020 — last year's outlier season seems to be fueling the extra concern and annoyance.
"People are noticing mosquitoes because we didn't have any last year," Carlson said Wednesday.
Still, some areas that recently saw significant rainfall are showing to be hotspots for mosquitoes, including northern Anoka County, western Hennepin County and the southern portion of St. Paul.
Carlson said residents can help combat mosquitoes by removing any water that might be hanging around in containers and other low spots after the rainfall.
It only takes about one inch of rainfall to produce a hatch of mosquitoes, but Carlson said drier weather expected in the next 10 days could bring some relief.
If mosquitoes are becoming a particular annoyance in your area, metro residents are encouraged to submit at tip online.
