How to protect yourself from flies and mosquitoes

If you feel like you're seeing more mosquitoes and flies than usual, you're not alone. 

Pablo Cabrera with the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control said that the record rainfall totals from winter and Hilary has made Southern California's ecosystem more similar to Florida and Texas. This change has led to more bugs and mosquitoes, including the aggressive Aedes mosquito. 

"We had a lot of rain a few months and Tropical Storm Hilary came through and created stagnant water in people's yards and around homes," said Cabrera. 

The stagnant water in pots, buckets and even bottle caps have made it a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. 

"We are experiencing an increase in mosquito bites because we do have Aedes mosquitoes well-established here," Cabrera said.   

To keep the bugs at bay, Monrovia mom Lauren Sizemore has tried everything to protect her family against mosquitoes.

"We have Off Spray. We do the citronella candles. I even bought a citronella plant," said Sizemore. "On Instagram, I saw that if you put ivory soap in bags and leave them hanging around your house maybe that'll keep the flies and the bugs away."

Despite all her efforts, Sizemore has been losing her battle against the pests. 

Cabrera said while people have tried all sorts of tricks to ward off bugs, it's best to stick with what is tried and true in order to protect against diseases like West Nile, which has been detected in mosquitoes throughout the valley. 

"Looking for mosquito repellent, on the active ingredient, you want to look for Picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or Deet," he said.