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SALT LAKE CITY -- Complaints are on the rise as an extra pesky mosquito does its worst along Salt Lake City's east side.
- Empty all containers that hold water, such as, buckets, cans, used tires, wading pools and other water containers.
- Check rain gutters and downspouts. Keep them free of any debris.
- Keep street gutters free of leaves and grass clippings.
- If you have trees with holes call the District.
A mild and wet spring has led to a bumper crop of the western tree hole mosquito. Unlike other breeds, these mosquitoes bite day and night.
"They like to bite people and they particularly like to bite dogs," Salt Lake City Mosquito Abatement District manager Sammie Dickson told KSL Newsradio Thursday morning. "They are a mosquito that will bite during the day in shaded areas and during the evening."
Dickson had 45 complaints to his office in June, compared to the average of eight.
"People - particularly on the east side of the valley - don't see a lot of mosquitoes, but this mosquito will drive them off of their patios at night," Dickson said.
Crews have surveyed 100,000 trees on city property; 3,000 trees have been treated yearly. Wednesday, crews were treating trees at Liberty Park.
The mosquitoes get their name because of their breeding ground -- rotted tree holes.
Western tree hole mosquitoes aren't believed to transit West Nile Virus, but they can give dogs heartworms.
E-mail: aadams@ksl.com
