United States: According to an official report from a Texas county, a major concern of explosion of the population of mosquitoes have come to the light. The experts are linking the phenomenon with the ongoing climate change and global warming.
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According to Mith Varley, a resident of the Houston suburb of Conroe, Texas, “If you open the car door to go somewhere, you’ve got ten mosquitoes inside,” the Washington Post reported.
Varley has been a resident of Montgomery County for almost a decade now and has never seen it going this worse. Although this area of Texas has been famous for being an ideal location for habitating mosquito, however since past few weeks owing to flood-inducing rains, the area has seen an unprecedented rise in the insect.
According to Fox News, another local resident, Linda Adams, said, “They are attracted to me. No one else gets mosquitoes like me,” and, “I was also a redhead as a child. I think that has something to do with it.”
Adams added that she would never leave her house without dousing herself in bug spray, citing that is the “only way I can get through the day,” and said, “It has to be at least 40 percent DEET.”
Experts weigh in
Max Vigilant, director of mosquito control in nearby Harris County, explains that recent sampling indicates mosquito levels have surged compared to 2022 and 2023, making accurate counting difficult.
Moreover, as the residents point to worsening situations, Vigilant explains that the recent climate change phenomenon leading to “hotter temperatures” is the main cause of such swarms of mosquitoes.
He added, “This is the impact that climate change has had on Harris Country,” as Fox News reported.
Harris County’s battle with mosquitoes
Harris County hosts over 50 mosquito species. The county’s public health department, where Vigilant works, is actively spraying pesticides, particularly in areas at risk for diseases like West Nile Virus.
Despite residents’ complaints, the Harris County Public Health Department did not respond immediately to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Residents continue to face challenges due to the ongoing mosquito problem.