Bakersfield received ten inches of rainfall for the water year already. With all the added water, it could lead to a whole lot more bugs and mosquitoes. I find out what this means for the West Nile Virus and how to protect yourself this spring.
We had ten inches of rain in only a few months. This created a greener Kern County already with lush plants and vegetation, but this also created more standing water than normal which attracts an annoying pest called mosquitoes. I went to the Kern Mosquito and Vector Control District here in town to get insight on what really attracts mosquitoes and how worried you should be about the West Nile Virus.
La Thao, an entomologist, shares this with us.
"Mosquitoes are attracted by the CO2 that you exhale and also your sweat with the lactic acid. They are also attracted to standing water which is where they breed. Our concern is backyard sources so if they have any plants, saucers, or just any water standing around their backyard its going to breed more mosquitoes than usual compared to our drought years. With that also comes along the concern for West Nile Virus."
According to Westnile.Ca.Gov, Kern County has had 17 human West Nile Virus over the past year.
That's up from 12 people the year before. Thirty counties in California have human cases with the state of California recovering from the drought which means more standing water for mosquitoes to breed. I find out how you can protect yourself this spring in this active mosquito pattern from La Thao.
"We advise the public to police their own yards. What we mean is if thy see any standing water in their backyard, drain out the water, scrub it and make sure it isn't standing for a long time because that will be an active breeding site."
It is also advised to wear proper clothing, make sure your doors and windows have tight fitting screens and to wear repellent while going outside. With these tips you can protect your self from these annoying pests and reduce the risk for West Nile this spring. In Bakersfield, Adam Bowles 23ABC.
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