AUSTIN, Texas — The summerlike heat and humidity this week is going to have mosquitoes buzzing!
Wednesday through Saturday, our dewpoints in Central Texas will trend through the 60s and lower 70s, reaching near tropical limits at times.
While thankfully the region has not endured too much rainfall over the past couple of days, the humid air and high temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s will create an optimal environment for mosquitoes to breed. Nighttime temperatures are not expected to drop low enough to kill off the buzzy bugs either. Lows stay in the 70s the next few nights.
Wednesday and Thursday will be "high" on the mosquito meter, while Friday trends in the medium category, as temperatures lower and rain chances increase that evening.
According to the Austin Environmental Vector Control Program, if you are worried about mosquitoes in and around your home this week, here are a few easy tips.
Drain standing water
While we are only dealing with isolated rain chances through the end of the week, this will be a good note for this weekend, when widespread showers and rain move in.
Mosquitoes grow and spread quickly in standing water, so be sure to turn over things like kids toys, bird baths, empty flower pots, trash bins and old tires, which all can hold rainwater.
Wear good insect repellent
Use a safe but effective bug spray, with any of these active ingredients.
- DEET
- Picaridin (known as KBR 3023 and icaridin outside the U.S.)
- IR3535
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
- Para-menthane-diol (PMD)
- 2-undecanone
Dress to protect
Long sleeves and long pants when you are spending extended periods of time outside are imperative if you want to keep mosquitoes off of you. Mosquitoes are most active during dusk and dawn.
Last year, there were four cases of West Nile virus in Travis County. One of those resulted in death.