Hurricane Florence Brings on ‘Large, Aggressive Mosquito Swarm’ in N.C.
OutdoorHub Reporters 09.28.18
North Carolina has been through the wringer after being hit by Hurricane Florence. The Tar Heel State has endured nonstop rain, flooding, and now. . . an aggressive mosquito swarm.
Folks dealing with fallout after Hurricane Florence have been swarmed by “large aggressive mosquitoes nearly three times larger than regular mosquitoes,” CBS News reports. The scene has even been described by one resident, Robert Phillips, as “a bad science fiction movie.”
According to a North Carolina State University entomology professor, Michael Reiskind, Florence’s floodwater is to thank. The rainfall caused eggs from a mosquito species called Psorophora ciliata to hatch. These particular mosquitoes, also known as “gallinippers,” are nothing to shake a stick at. . . you’re going to want something bigger.
They’re known for their aggressive behavior and painful bites, and often lay eggs in low-lying damp areas. Eggs will lie dormant in dry weather until heavy rains bring enough water for them to hatch. Reiskind reportedly said the state has 61 mosquito species, and “when the flood comes, we get many, many billions of them.”
The good news in this nightmare, is the mosquitoes aren’t transmitting many diseases.
Gov. Roy Cooper has already taken action by ordering $4 million in mosquito control efforts, his office said earlier this week in a news release.
The funding allowed efforts to take place on Thursday.
