Counties prepare for West Nile testing
(Lancaster) — Mosquitoes are loving this hot, humid weather. But as mosquito populations rise, so does the risk for West Nile virus.
The disease has already been detected in two mosquito samples tested by the state, including one from Adams County.
This is surveillance season for folks in the mosquito business and Lancaster County West Nile Virus Coordinator Matt Mercer says the fewer bugs out there, the less likely it’ll be transmitted.
“We’re in the business of killing mosquitoes,” Mercer says. “We try to kill them as larvae, and if we can’t figure out where they’re coming from, then we spray.”
Mercer says he’s seeing traps collect more mosquitoes of late. York County is also reporting high mosquito populations being detected so far.
Mosquitoes like standing water, so Mercer’s best advice is to eliminate any source around your home where they might gather.
Some 208 positive mosquito samples were collected in Lancaster County last year, ranking third behind York and Adams counties in the state.
