WVII speaks with Dill about mosquitoes

WVII (Channel 7) spoke with Griffin Dill, integrated pest management professional for University of Maine Cooperative Extension, for a report on large numbers of mosquitoes in Maine as a result of recent rainy weather. “The mosquitoes tended to stay inactive in the early spring and then all emerged in early June. So for the month of June, we’ve seen high mosquito activity, a lot of mosquitoes out. So certainly something that we’re seeing on a statewide basis,” said Dill. “In Maine, West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis are both serious illnesses that have been found. Fortunately, they are relatively rare but they are something to think about. It’s a little bit moving beyond just the simple annoyance that’s posed by mosquitoes and moving into that threat of disease.” To discourage mosquitoes, Dill recommends people wear long-sleeve clothing, use bug spray and get rid of standing water — birdbaths, clogged gutters, and any other area that can accumulate standing water, since even a tablespoon of water is enough for mosquitoes to breed. “If the rainy weather continues throughout the summer then certainly we could see elevated mosquito activity for the entire summer,” Dill said. “We’re hoping that it will kind of warm up, dry out, we’ll have our normal sunny summer. But if we don’t see that, then certainly the mosquito activity could be an issue all year long.”