Do the mosquitoes at Boise recreation sites hurt more? Here’s why that’s a good thing

As mosquito season continues in Boise, residents are feeling the itch. But a mosquito with a more painful bite might be safer than one that goes unnoticed.

Ada County this year has received over 300 requests for mosquito abatement and has done hundreds of treatments where county staffers have found nuisance species, said Samuel Brockway, the program and education specialist for the county’s mosquito abatement program. But in the Boise area, the painful bites typically come from Aedes vexans mosquitoes, pests often found at popular recreation spots in Idaho that can be aggressive but don’t carry dangerous pathogens, Brockway told the Idaho Statesman.

Aedes vexans are daytime biters and come into contact with humans more often than other species. They’re called nuisance mosquitoes because they don’t spread viruses but are “known for being aggressive and painful biters,” Aaron Ursenbach, the pest abatement district manager in Twin Falls County, told the Statesman.

While some regions in the U.S. report more mosquito activity than usual this year, Boise has seen below-average mosquito populations, Brockway told the Statesman. But Ada County’s mosquito abatement district is keeping a close eye on populations in the hopes of limiting West Nile virus cases, a task that’s getting harder every year as new developments create more drain inlets, Brockway said. Those inlets are great mosquito breeding grounds.

So which mosquitoes should we be worried about? The less painful bites come from the more concerning Culex mosquitoes, spreaders of the West Nile virus, Brockway told the Statesman. No cases of West Nile have been reported in the county this year. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported five cases last year, a high number for the county, Brockway added.

“Almost every Culex we caught had the virus,” he said. “We don’t anticipate that West Nile will be that bad two years in a row.”

While killing West Nile-spreading mosquitoes is Ada County’s top priority, especially once a mosquito tests positive for the virus, the district will treat for nuisance mosquitoes if they receive complaints of high populations, Brockway added.

Ada County uses drones for mosquito abatement

The addition of new techniques is helping the county keep up with demand. In Eagle Island State Park, where the county has received several complaints of aggressive mosquitoes, drones allow abatement technicians to treat previously unreachable areas. Mosquito populations are decreasing year to year in areas the county has targeted with those drones, Brockway said.

But people can take individual precautions to avoid pesky bites and protect themselves from West Nile.

Brockway recommends wearing light-colored, full-coverage clothing and wearing mosquito repellent approved by the Environmental Protective Agency. Minimizing your time outside at dusk and dawn will also help prevent Culex bites, he added.

Ursenbach stressed the importance of cleaning standing water around your house, including empty flower pots, tires or kiddie pools. “Dealing with the small things makes a big difference,” he said.

Anyone experiencing a bad mosquito problem should reach out to Ada County, Brockway said. “We can figure out what’s going on and fix it.”