Mosquito numbers in metro are down compared to this time last year
By Christian Veninga, WCCO Intern
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesotans may start feeling slightly less itchy this summer.
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District that there are fewer mosquitos around now than there were this time last year, with 500 fewer mosquitos in traps compared to the 10-year average.
Mosquitos, which thrive in damp and moist conditions, have been unable to gain a foothold on the state due to the dry conditions Minnesota has been experiencing.
Though the 2023 mosquito count had been higher overall compared to last year, the numbers dipped at the beginning of the month. Fourth of July, which is historically the mosquito peak in Minnesota, was quiet due to the lack of rain, according to the MMCD.
The number of mosquitoes from mid-June on through the rest of the summer had been down in 2022 and 2021 compared to the 10-year average, although in 2020 the state experienced average mosquito numbers.
According to MMCD assistant entomologist Dr. Scott Larson, data suggests that the peak for mosquitos has already passed, two weeks earlier than average.
