Watch out. The Asian tiger mosquitoes tend to be active and bite during the day unlike native mosquitoes and don’t require much water to breed.
It’s the third year in a row adult Asian tiger mosquitoes (Aedes albopictus) have been found here.
“Because of climate change and because of the mosquitoes travelling to longer distances, the risk is there which is, I think, a new risk and our community needs to be aware of these new risks,” Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Wajid Ahmed said Tuesday.
In light of the May discovery, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is reminding the public to protect against mosquito bites by using insect repellant, wearing light-coloured clothing and getting rid of even small amounts of standing water in your yard. The Asian tiger mosquitoes tend to be active and bite during the day unlike native mosquitoes and require very little water to multiply.
The health unit has found adult Asian tiger mosquitoes since 2016 in the area and so far none have tested positive for the Zika or West Nile virus, Ahmed said. The two adult mosquitoes that were identified in May were captured in a special mosquito trap in Windsor. The health unit will continue to look for the non-native mosquitoes in 16 traps in the area and look for any emerging patterns.
