Soaking rains challenge mosquito fight

While farmers are struggling with a slow start to the growing season, business is buzzing for mosquito foggers.

Judy Baumgartner, office manager with the company Mosquito Joe says, "The mosquitoes are really, really bad right now with this rain and the continued wetness. We're fighting the fight.”

Baumgartner says that the wet winter didn't give them a good start to the season. And with the ground already saturated, it hasn't taken much rain to leave behind standing water.

"Mosquitoes love to breed and lay their eggs in and near water. And when it rains, that's all they need to have a new hatch."

Lately, that means new mosquitoes are hatching almost daily, and companies like Mosquito Joe are having a tough time keeping up with them.

"Probably two to three times more mosquitoes, and some of our customers that never get touch-up sprays, or never have issues, have been having issues."

Steve Avina says the mosquitoes haven't been bad at his Toledo home this year. But they've kept him away from places like oak openings. "It's even beyond mosquito spray,” he complains. “You have to have a net over your face, and really lather up with the spray because they're really bad out there."

Avina says that he sprays his own yard once in a while for mosquitoes, and does exactly what the experts like Judy Baumgartner recommend:

"The best thing for people to do is to look around their yard and see where they can get rid of any standing water that is in pots, or anything like that.”

Judy Baumgartner with Mosquito Joe says that technicians can't spray on rainy or windy days, so they've been behind on getting to each property. She says that the best thing you can do while you're waiting to have your yard sprayed is to remove any standing water that you can, be patient, and wait for drier weather.