JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- The continuous rain isn't just forcing us into hibernation. Mosquitoes are laying low right now too but folks with Jacksonville Mosquito Control say as soon as that rain stops -- those pesky bugs are going to be out in force.
Mosquito Control is taking this time to prepare.
Marah Clark is an Entomologist with Jacksonville Mosquito Control. She's taking advantage of these rainy conditions by studying up on the different breeds of mosquitoes in our area. She says while it may be raining for mosquitoes this is the calm before the storm.
"If the ground becomes saturated and the water starts to stand then were gonna have problems," she said.
So crews here are getting ready and bracing for another round of peak numbers.
"Probably within a week we are going to start to see the numbers climb again so were going to try to use that time to our advantage and get out and do what we can to catch them while they're in those larvae stages," said Mosquito Control Chief John Shellhorn.
Community members are getting a little worried, wondering if all the new standing water is turning their yards into massive breeding grounds. Shellhorn says not to worry. Mosquitoes steer clear of large wetlands -- they don't like moving water. He says it's the small puddles you have to worry about.
"The female mosquito is not going to lay her eggs in deep water and areas like that tend to harbor tadpole minnows which are natural predators," he said. "So we tend to find the mosquito concentrations in areas where you have shallow standing water."
Shellhorn says they're banking on most of the water to dissipate after all the rain stops. After that, they're urging folks to evaluate their yards making sure no rainwater is left behind in small spots -- children's toys, on tarps and in the gutters.
And they'll be out in force in about a week's time spraying as the bugs hatch and start attacking again.
Shellhorn says they've also been monitoring the insects for diseases like west nile. And right now -- there are no threats in our area.
Click here for more information on when and where crews plan to spray.
