From Bakersfield.com
June 23, 2021
When dealing with mosquitoes — surely among the most hated insects in the world — sometimes it helps to look on the bright side.
For example, there are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes on planet Earth, but only about 26 are in Kern County — and of those, only a few are considered prominent pests.
The bad news is that Aedes aegypti, Bakersfield’s newest mosquito species, has become a real pain in the … err, ankle, for area residents.
“With the addition of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes here in Kern County, the word ‘nuisance’ probably isn’t strong enough,” said Terry Knight, spokesman for the Kern Mosquito & Vector Control District. “Anybody that knows this mosquito may know her by the nickname, ankle-biter.
“There’s a true hatred and a true anger toward this mosquito,” Knight said, “and it’s generating a lot of phone calls to our district.”