Heavy rain means more mosquitoes in the borderland

Dona Ana County vector control officials have been busy with this week’s heavy rain. The rain left behind the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

“If you see standing water and it’s holding five, six, seven days, they can hatch in these temperatures,” said Kenneth Sholar, vector control supervisor.

Tiny black specks are swimming through standing water throughout the borderland. If given the chance, they’ll grow and mature into mosquitoes.

Vector control officials have been working hard to fight mosquito populations.

“We use a product called Agnique. It’s almost like putting a super-thin soap film on the hatch site. What we do is change the top of the water to where there’s nothing for them to hold onto. They fall down and they drown,” Sholar said.

After a few sprays of Agnique, larvae begin to die in just a few hours.

“The mosquitoes are hatching hard but we’re right there with them,” Sholar said.

Sholar said some mosquitoes hatch with West Nile virus. Employees are out before dawn spraying as many areas as possible, but it’s still important to protect yourself from the bugs.

“We want people to be using the repellents, practicing avoidance. If you don’t have to be out there don’t push it,” Sholar said.

Any residents in Dona Ana County can call vector control for help with standing water. You can call 575-526-8150.