An invasive mosquito species has been found in Pleasanton. This species of mosquito hasn’t been found in the area in over a decade, until now. Known as Aedes aegypti, they can spread diseases like Zika virus, dengue, and yellow fever.
The mosquitos were first detected by the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District on October 9th. Since then, the district has been informing residents and requesting access to their properties for inspections. They set traps and yesterday, they found four more mosquitoes.
The focus is on areas with standing water, where the insects thrive. The district’s public affairs director said that even a bottle cap of water is enough for the mosquito to reproduce.
Residents are encouraged to dump out standing water and wipe down surfaces with a 5% bleach solution.
The World Mosquito Program says warmer temperatures from climate change are a contributing factor to mosquitos expanding their habitat.
