Mosquito Populations Return To Normal This Summer

Mosquitos are expected to thrive in Wisconsin this summer in a return to a normal season.

“If they haven’t received their first mosquito bite, it’s coming,” says University of Wisconsin-Madison entomologist Phil Pellitteri of fellow Wisconsinites.

Pellitteri expects a normal year for mosquitoes in Wisconsin, though it may seem worse because the mosquito population was abnormally low last year because of dry conditions. He says the cooler spring is delaying a mosquito outbreak in parts of the state – but wait for those 65-degree humid nights.

“Insects develop depending on temperature. The dynamic of this year is things are quite wet, so it’s perfect for mosquitoes. But they’ve been a bit late in coming. There’s probably more mosquito activity than people think – it just hasn’t been warm enough to get them up and chasing people.”

Pelliterri says little can be done to control the wind from blowing a new batch of mosquitoes onto one’s property, but he says keeping grass and shrubbery low helps.