SYRACUSE -- If you've already seen a mosquito this month you're not alone. A lot of folks have been seeing mosquitoes already this year.
Dr. Stephen Teal, an entomologist at SUNY-ESF, says the arrival of mosquitoes this early is unusual.
"Normally we still have snow on the ground this time of year. We don't see activity of insects, especially mosquitos, when there's still snow out generally," he says.
Dr. Teal says the warm weather this winter is the reason for the mosquitoes early arrival, but he says, the early arrival of mosquitoes doesn't necessarily mean there are going to be more mosquitoes this summer.
"If we get a cold snap, those adult mosquitos that are out now are going to be killed off and that can actually reduce the mosquito population," he says.
Dr. Teal says if we don’t get a cold snap, you might want to stock up on the bug spray, especially if we have a wet spring.
"Mosquito's need three things to live; they need warm temperatures, they need water and they need blood," he says.
It's not just mosquitoes. Dr. Teal says if the warm temperatures keep up this spring, we can also plan on seeing more ticks this summer as well.
"Ticks, with these warm temperatures, they can be active already and of course Deer Ticks transfer Lyme Disease," he says.
Mosquitoes can carry the West Nile Virus, so if this early spring warmth keeps up, we could be in for a long, buggy summer.
