County officials call 2021 one of the strangest mosquito seasons to date

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — If you feel like you are getting eaten up with mosquitoes, New Hanover County officials say you could be in the minority.

Environmental health supervisor Jeff Suggs said it’s been a strange mosquito season, with one of the lowest historical rates to date.

According to Suggs, the May drought kept things too dry for mosquitoes to thrive.

Vector control typically finds the most mosquitoes in low lying areas near the water, like Fort Fisher. This season, they’ve mostly been in neighborhoods, and are preventable.

“With the rains that we’ve had now, we need people to be diligent about looking for bird baths, kids toys, tarps,” said Suggs. “Anything that can hold more than a tablespoon of water can breed mosquitos.”

To prevent infestations, Suggs recommends tipping and tossing, meaning if you have items in your yard that hold water, tip out the liquid and clean it every three to five days. If you don’t use the items everyday, consider storing them in a dry, indoor location.