ANGLETON
Brazoria County Mosquito Control surveyor Darrin Griffith begins filling a truck with chemicals Monday at the department’s facilities in Angleton in preparation of spraying for the insects. (Photo: Andy Packard)
Anyone who has stepped outside for any length of time the past few days likely hasn’t escaped the population explosion of the area’s most prominent pest.
Brazoria County Mosquito Control has caught the bug, too. Thousands of them.
Brazoria County Mosquito Control Director Jim Ryan said the county is experiencing its largest burst in mosquito activity in at least a year, based on a survey taken by the district.
The survey involves having people at about 200 spots around the county perform landing counts, in which they tally how many mosquitoes land on them below the waist without biting in a minute. Every counter reported more than 100 mosquitoes, with one reporting more than 500.
The next step for the district is to get those numbers down.
Brazoria County Mosquito Control will begin spraying today to help control the population — five nights with the trucks, and three days with the airplane to cover most of the populated areas, Ryan said.
Brazoria County Mosquito Control decides to spray based on information gathered in the field, said Darrin Griffith, a surveyor for the district. Surveyors check the number of mosquitoes in traps at surveillance checkpoints throughout the county. Surveillance is performed four days a week.
Employees begin their routes within 30 minutes of receiving their instruction, he said, and spray from 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. on a regular shift.
The department also factors resident input when determining areas to spray, Griffith said. People can call mosquito control district anytime they believe the mosquito population has crossed their tolerance level, he said.
“We do look at the fact of where people are calling as well,” he said. “It plays into it.”
FROM THE MARSHES
While the recent spurts of rain have helped the breeding conditions for mosquitoes, they are not the main cause of the population surge, Ryan said. Tides pushed in by a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico last week are the larger culprit, pushing excess water into the marsh lands, a favored breeding spot for mosquitoes.
“Those eggs that laid there hatched off,” Ryan said.
Marshy areas around Jones Creek, Demi-John, Oyster Creek and Churchill are especially prone to heavy mosquito activity, but the newly hatched mosquitoes aren’t being selective in where they spread their misery, he said.
“It’s the same all over the county right now,” Ryan said.
Solicitan, a saltwater flood mosquito, is the most common species being seen right now, Ryan said. They come out of the marsh, are aggressive and bite during the day. They are strong daytime fliers, and can cover seven to 10 miles a day.
They also can stray more than 20 miles from where they hatch and are traveling to inland cities, Griffith said.
“The ones we’re fighting right now aren’t breeding in their neighborhoods,” Griffith said.
Solicitan is just one of the five dominant species in Brazoria County. A total of 44 species of mosquitoes, either single breed or a mix, can be found in the area.
HEALTH HAZARD
The mosquitoes also could prove to be more than a nuisance, Ryan said. While they are not carriers of West Nile or other diseases, the volume can affect people with existing health conditions, including skin allergies, he said.
If disease-transmitting mosquitoes are found in Brazoria County, they usually are found in the northern half, including Pearland, Alvin, Angleton, and to a lesser extent, Lake Jackson, Ryan said.
“It has to do with what kind of urban neighborhood it is, and where those mosquitoes like to breed,” he said.
Residents can help fight the mosquito outbreak through simple upkeep of their property, Griffith said.
Brazoria County Mosquito Control recommends using yellow light bulbs instead of white ones on outside fixtures to repel the insect, drain any standing water, keep yards mowed and shrubs trimmed, and keep homes clear of any trash, brush or other debris.
“Mosquitoes are going to rest in shrubs, against grass and if there is a lot clutter,” Griffith said.
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