From Fox 10 Phoenix
May 19, 2019
PHOENIX (FOX 10) – A soggy spring and cooler than normal temperatures have Maricopa County Vector Control working hard tracking an unusually busy and early mosquito season, which is causing concern over the growing number of West Nile Virus cases discovered.
Traps have been set, and thousands of mosquitoes have already been collected by Maricopa County Vector Control. It’s only mid-May.
Division Manager, John Townsend, says the department is busier than usual.
“Right now it’s a lot worse than it was last year,” said Townsend.
This map is an indication of just how bad the mosquitoes are biting, and Townsend says there’s been a shift: more bugs are being trapped in central locations versus south of the Valley.
“It’s kind of amplifying in nature in the birds and the mosquitos but for whatever reason, we are picking it up,” said Townsend.