Here’s how to arm yourself as mosquito season lands early

The Aedes mosquitoes are here to stay, arriving in Southern California from Asia, Central America, Australia, and the southern states of Texas, Louisiana and Florida.

Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, arrived in Los Angeles County in 2011; Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, was recorded locally in 2014; and Aedes notoscriptus came in 2017.

The Aedes mosquito made its first Orange County appearance in 2015, in both Mission Viejo and the northern parts of the county, but they have since spread elsewhere in the county as well.

Experts think the pests often arrive  stateside plants being transported internationally, said Lora Young of the Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District.

“We’re receiving calls from people who have brought their plants that have had dormant eggs on them indoors (over the winter),” Young said.

Flip on the heater and it creates the perfect climate for the eggs, which can lie dormant outside of water for up to a year, to hatch. Expert survivors, they then find unused drains and other spots to thrive indoors. They seem to know where water normally exists and lay eggs in temporarily dry flower vases or pots.

What can residents do to stop the spread of these mosquitoes?

• Check yards weekly and empty any standing water (even tiny amounts in saucers under flower pots, drainage areas, fountains, trash cans and pet bowls can be likely breeding grounds);
• Work with neighbors to make sure they know about the mosquitoes and how to keep watch over their yards;
• Make sure window screens are in good repair and fit tightly
• Keep an EPA-approved insect repellent handy — and use it. Repellents using DEET, Picaridian or oil-of-lemon eucalyptus are recommended, and a new product — “Skin So Soft for Mosquito Control (with ir3535)”; and
• Wear long sleeves, long pants, shoes and socks.

For information, contact the local vector control agency in your area. They can be found at socalmosquito.org.