It hasn't been particularly warm, but mosquito and vector
control districts in the Sacramento area have been getting dozens
of complaints about mosquitoes.
It was just last month the Sacramento area had night after
night of freezing temperatures. But, Michael Kimball with the
Sutter Yuba Vector Control District says anopheles mosquitoes
made it through the cold by hibernating and have now awakened
for the equivalent of a midnight snack, "This mosquito can hunker
down in areas. For instance: wood piles, inside buildings, up
in any secluded area and they'll make it through some pretty cold
temperature. And then, when we get a break in that they're hungry
and they come out looking for a blood meal."
Kimball says the the numbers of calls have increased in recent
weeks.
"I've seen that same phenomena at home. I left the
door open last Saturday and watching the Super Bowl Sunday, all my
guests were swatting."
Kimball says the mosquitoes return to hibernation once they
find something to eat. He expects the hibernation break
to continue for a few more weeks. The second half of their
winter nap should last until May.
The district has been spraying with handheld foggers. Kimball
says using trucks is inefficient.
The Placer County Mosquito and Vector Control district says it
has also received several complaints. But the number has not
reached the level required to begin spraying.
It also likely will not spray because the only disease this
particular type of mosquito transmits is malaria. The Centers
for Disease Control says Malaria cannot be transmitted by
mosquitoes when the temperature is below 68 degrees.