Officials Concerned About Asian Tiger Mosquitoes Found In Bristol County
BOSTON (CBS) - Summer is just beginning, but mosquitoes are already out, and the discovery of a particularly aggressive species has experts a little concerned.
In Bristol County, mosquito experts have found something a little worrisome: the Asian Tiger mosquito, a species not generally found in Massachusetts.
"The Asian Tiger mosquito is an invasive species, and certainly our south coast of New England is probably the most northern range it can get into," said Wayne Andrews, the superintendent of Bristol County's mosquito control project.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Karen Twomey reports.
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Andrews said he's most concerned about the fact that this particular mosquito, which is occasionally detected around Labor Day, is showing up so early. His fear is that this will give the insect more time to breed and spread disease.
"And what's gonna happen, since it's so early, it has time to build up, because I'm sure I didn't catch the only mosquito," said Andrews.
These are aggressvie mosquitoes that bite people during the day and can carry disease. Andrews advises residents to keep an eye on standing water on their property.
"These are a city mosquito, and they're urban-based, and they'd like containers of water, the cleaner the better, and they love tires. But, (watch out for) anything that holds water: a kiddy pool, a bird bath," said Andrews.
