Source: NCSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 6/10/19


Close to a year ago (June 13, 2018), I wrote “Raining in Mosquitoes” after we had torrential rains in many areas of the state. So, flash forward to this weekend’s rain and flash flooding is leaving many areas will standing water. Some of these such as my neighbor’s yard on Saturday afternoon will drain within a few days. However, other areas (particularly shaded poorly draining sites) may have stagnating water for weeks; long enough to become mosquito breeding grounds.

Rather than wait to spray for the blood-sucking adults or even toss products like Mosquito Dunks into pools of stagnant water, now is the time for people to get outdoors and see where these water-filled areas are located and try to eliminate them as best we can.

Aside from pooled water in our yards, there are many other areas and objects that can serve as mosquito breeding sites. As I have mentioned previously, an unpublished study in the 1980s led by Dr. Charles Apperson (professor emeritus in NC State University’s Entomology & Plant Pathology Department) looked at where Asian tiger mosquitos were breeding in typical residential settings in New Hanover County. Here’s what they found:

For the full story, click here.