Who's Enjoying A Rapidly Warming World In Sunny Los Angeles? Aedes Aegypti And Tiger Mosquitoes
Many try and fail to make it in L.A. But one group is proving unstoppable: mosquitoes, which have taken over Southern California and are driving the humans here crazy. New invasive, disease-bearing species originating from Asia and Africa are thriving in the increasingly long, hot and humid summers afflicting this region thanks to climate change, according to numerous public health officials. Their growing numbers are baffling and infuriating Angelenos, who, until recently, considered themselves largely exempt from the buzzing bloodsuckers that make summers miserable in much of the rest of the country.
Experts say they’re here to stay. And even though mosquitoes don’t pose the same danger to lives and livelihoods as wildfires or drought — at least not yet — they have become a biting reminder of an increasingly inhospitable natural world where climate change seems to pose constant new hazards.
Many Los Angeles residents like Krokar have the impression that mosquitoes are new in town, but that’s not technically the case. A small brown mosquito with the scientific name Culex has long resided here, emerging at dawn and dusk to bite birds and occasionally people. The Culex can spread West Nile virus but are often unobtrusive, and many people barely knew they existed.
What’s new is a black-and-white-striped insect called Aedes, a nonnative variety that includes yellow fever mosquitoes and Asian tiger mosquitoes. The yellow fever mosquitoes in particular — technically known as Aedes aegypti — are aggressive biters drawn to humans at all hours. They breed in standing water, and their eggs can lie dormant for months or even years on dry surfaces. In addition to yellow fever, they can transmit Zika, dengue fever and other diseases to humans and pets.
EDIT
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/09/19/climate-mosquito-los-angeles/
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The DC area has been suffering with the Aedes mosquitoes-from-hell for about a decade. I hate the damned things. Unless you totally cover yourself with repellent, they attack like mad. The instant the repellent wears off, they strike.
I refuse to use pesticides - I've had a completely organic garden for 23 years. Some people have their yards sprayed with Bt, but that kills butterflies. Having bats would help, but a fungal disease called white-nose wiped out a lot of bats a few years back.
