From the Fresno Bee
April 15, 2019
Heavy winter snowpack and more rain this spring likely means more mosquitoes are coming soon to the central San Joaquin Valley.
“We are expecting a fairly significant increase in mosquito activity,” said Michael Cavanagh, district manager of the Kings Mosquito Abatement District based in Hanford.
Mosquitoes need water to lay their eggs, so more water means more places for the insects to breed.
Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus remain a concern in the Valley, and an increasing number of mosquitoes have been found to be carrying Saint Louis encephalitis. That disease has been “coming back with a vengeance” over the past couple years, said Ryan McNeil, district manager of the Fresno Mosquito and Vector Control District.