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BRIGHAM CITY — As folks in Box Elder County enjoy a break from flooding problems, there's another challenge brewing: mosquitoes. County workers are expecting more than usual because there are more breeding grounds than usual.
Thanks to a plentiful snowpack and subsequent flooding this year, the wetlands near Brigham City look like they've spread into nearby fields. Plenty of other normally dry spots were covered with a shallow layer of water Monday, and have been for a while.
"But in addition to all of the flooding, we've already had and all of the water that's already out there, we're concerned about the heavy snowpack, and all that water that still needs to come down," said Randel Sessions, director of Box Elder County’s Mosquito Abatement District.
Sessions said there will no doubt be many more breeding grounds than northern Utah residents have seen in a very long time.
"This will be my 18th season, and I haven't seen anything this bad," Sessions said. "So this is going to be a new experience for all of us."
Workers have already started treating some areas where they've found larvae, and that's going to ramp up soon. Sessions said the abatement board has set aside about $130,000 from funding reserves to bring in extra help, including up to three more seasonal employees.
"Most of (the money) will be allocated for airplane spraying, if we need it,” Sessions said.
Unfortunately, most of the areas can't be treated until larvae start to show up, which Sessions said will happen within a couple of weeks.
"The mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus and other diseases will not become a threat or a problem this spring," he said. "They’ll come on later on this summer."
In the meantime, Sessions said people should prepare by using mosquito repellent and avoid leaving standing water in their yards.
Utah won't see the disease-carrying mosquitoes until later into the summer months, he said. The only exception there is heartworm, and Sessions cautions that dog owners should get their dogs vaccinated very soon.
Contributing: Xoel Cardenas
