Mosquitoes We Grow Them Big and En Masse May 21, 2005 A perfect storm... of mosquitoes Seven days until invasion, local officials predict BY SHANE FARVER_ Standard-Examiner staff sfarver@standard.net OGDEN As if the rising rivers and flooded farmlands aren't enough, Top of Utah cities are bracing for yet an-other nuisance directly related to water. This time, it will be in the form of disease-ridden, blood-sucking pests. "We're going to have an extremely bad mosquito situation in about a week," Bruce Bennett, Weber Mosquito Abatement District manager, said Friday. Bennett said heavy spring rains and the quick warming trend that followed are the perfect recipe for an insect invasion. He said Weber County is likely to see a 100 percent increase in the amount of mosquitoes by Memorial Day. Bennett said the rising Weber and Ogden rivers and copious amounts of standing water all over Weber County will bring about a mass hatching of a breed of mosquitoes known as Aedes. Bennett said Aedes mosquitoes are known to bite in the middle of the day as well as at night, but do not carry West Nile virus. However, Culex mosquitoes, which do carry the virus, are expected to hatch a few weeks later. "The warmer it gets and the longer it (water) sits there, the next one we're going to see is Culex," Bennett said. Randel Sessions, director of the Box Elder Mosquito Abatement District, said his county can expect similar mosquito problems. "The flooding up here flooded a lot more mosquito habitat," he said. "We're seeing a lot of adults (mosquitoes) in the areas where they've hatched out." Sessions said mosquitoes are now hatching in marshlands in Box Elder County, but will reach more populated areas within 10 days. "They can really pick up and move when they want to," he said. In the meantime, mosquito abatement employees are struggling to keep up with the influx of the pests. "It's impossible to get around to it all in time," Sessions said. Gary Hatch, manager of the Davis County Mosquito Abatement District, said the county could reach record numbers of acreage sprayed for mosquitoes in the month of May. "Our trucks are running pretty much every night," he said. He said that trapping and monitoring of Culex mosquitoes is already occurring in Davis County. "We're definitely concerned about their number," he said. Bennett advised residents to stay indoors during dawn and sunset and to wear mosquito repellent with DEET. However, he acknowledged that some solutions just aren't practical. "When it's 80 or 90 degrees, people don't like to run around in long-sleeve shirts," he said. He said Weber Mosquito Abatement employees will be working 12-hour days throughout the summer to squash the mosquito increase. Residents in Weber County, Davis County and Box Elder County may also call Mosquito Abatement to have mosquito fish delivered free of charge to their ponds. The number for Weber County Mosquito Abatement District is (801) 392-1630. Davis County's number is (801) 544-3736. Box Elder's number is (435) 723-3700. Residents cannot pick the fish up themselves.