Breaking News

Check here for the latest news on mosquitoes and other vectors in Kentucky

as well as updates from the laboratory.

2008 Mosquito Season is Early

April 25, 2008

By late April, Culex females were feeding throughout the western 2/3 of the state.  These mosquitoes prefer birds which are plentiful now so they should pose no problem.

           Aedes mosquitoes, the most common human biters in Kentucky, began flying in the Purchase Area in mid-April and will be present in Lexington by May 1.  However, the drought was especially hard on these mosquitoes last year and few survived; their numbers will remain low until July.

           Asian bush mosquitoes (Ochlerotatus japonicas) have already been collected as far north as the Ohio River at Maysville.  This is at least a month earlier than we have found this species in the past.

Night Insect Walk:

July 2008

In mid July, the PHEL hosted an interactive display at the Annual Night Insect Walk at Raven Run Nature Preserve to allow children and the general public to learn more about mosquitoes and other vectors.

  Participants were encouraged to try samples of different personal protectants and discuss various control products which are sold commercially.

Live mosquitoes and mosquito predators in action put on a great show for kids and their parents.  Various trapping devices and a ULV spray truck up were also displayed to allow visitors a closer look at vector management.

Grayson Brown and Logan Minter, of the PHEL, were assisted in answering questions and giving demonstrations by Liz Andrews of the UK Medical/Veterinary Entomology Lab, visiting scientists Rosma Hasibuan and Husni, and Nathan Powell of the Lexington-Fayette Health Dept.

Visiting Scientisits:

Summer 2008

During the summer months, two visiting scientists from Indonesia, Rosma Hasibuan and Husni, worked in the lab while learning new skills, including mosquito identification, monitoring, and control techniques, in order to help their country in dealing with current vector related issues.

Mosquito Season in the Bluegrass:

July 31 2008

Watch this news clip  to see a feature from WKYT News on Mosquitoes and impacts of Weather.  This interview was conducted at the Laboratory.  (Note: clicking the link will take you from our site.  You will need to use the back arrow to return)

Student Competition:

March 20, 2009

Logan Minter, Senior Laboratory Technician and MS student, presented a ten minute student competition talk at the Entomological Society of America’s North-Central Branch Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, entitled: “Range expansion of the sand fly, Lutzomyia shannoni (Dyar): climate change and a heat unit accumulation model.”  This talk was the 2nd Place winner in the MS session.

Mosquito Season 2009 Begins:

April 27, 2009

Late last week we began collecting a variety of species in the southwestern part of Kentucky, including: Aedes vexans, Anopheles punctipennis, Culex restuans, and Culiseta inornata.  These are typical, early spring mosquitoes which thrive in flooded puddles and ditches.  We have also noted Ochlerotatus j. japonicus once again beginning to emerge in southern Ohio, northeast of Maysville. Check back for more updates.

2009 Mosquito ID Course:

May 22, 2009

Every spring, the Public Health Entomology lab hosts a two day short course for public health and mosquito control officials in central Kentucky to learn the skill of mosquito identification.  Specimens of other arthropods which are of concern to human health in our area were also on display.  About a dozen students participated in the 2009 course.  If you are interested in taking this course next year, please contact us and let us know.

Will Recent Flooding mean more Mosquitoes?

May 22, 2009

Everyone knows that April showers bring May flowers, but spring rains can also provide just the right ingredient to the recipe for mosquito season to begin.  While we cannot yet predict whether the weather this spring will bring an unusually high swarm of biters to our region, we have observed comparatively high numbers of the Inland Floodwater Mosquito (Aedes vexans) in western Kentucky.  With this in mind, homeowners can do their part by reducing places around their property where mosquitoes can breed.  This includes keeping water in pet bowls fresh, emptying unused flower pots, keeping swimming pools clean, and repairing gutters which became clogged, dented, or damaged as a result of February’s ice storm.  To read more about mosquito populations and source reduction, check out these articles in Kentucky Pest News, UK’s Agriculture Extension newsletter.  (Note: this will take you from our site.)

Upcoming Events: Fight the Bite Kentucky!

July 9, 2009

Ready to learn more about backyard mosquito control and how to protect yourself and you family from biters this summer?

Please join us on July 23 at the Western KY Research and Extension center in Princeton, KY for UK Field Day, or on July 31at Raven Run Nature Preserve near Lexington for the Night Insect Walk.

At both events, the lab will have displays set up to explain multiple aspects of vector biology and management.  Activities will range from backyard treatment advice for home owners to live mosquito activities for kids.  So come out and learn how to do your part to help “Fight the Bite Kentucky!”