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Will an unusual winter bring fewer mosquitoes this year?

Posted at 8:13 PM, Feb 24, 2014
and last updated 2014-02-24 20:13:31-05

Mosquitoes are bound to be buzzing around when the weather warms up.

But with all of the polar vortexes, deep freezes and snow storms we've seen this winter are there going to be fewer mosquitoes?

It's been an unusual winter so far here in Hampton Roads. From the polar vortex and cold snaps to several inches of snow over and over again.

Some have even called it the winter that won't end.

Joe Simmons is the director of the Chesapeake Mosquito Control Commission.

He says while the cold weather has likely killed some larvae, he doesn't believe we're going to see a significant drop in mosquito numbers in our area this year.

Simmons and his crews often spend the winter months cleaning and clearing ditches around Chesapeake to keep water flowing.

Mosquitoes like to breed in standing water. But the cold has kept a lot of his staff out of the field to do the work.

That's not the only thing working against us.

Simmons says mosquito control is planning aerial larvicide sprays in Chesapeake sometime around late March or early April.

Until then, winter will end and when it warms up, we will still have mosquitoes to complain about.