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Asian tiger mosquito shows up in county
Tiny pest has bite, will travel
Tiny pest has bite, will travel
By P.J. REILLY, Staff Writer
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Dec 11, 2008
Intelligencer Journal
Published: Dec 11, 2008
A new pest is on the rise in Lancaster County.
It's aggressive, fond of human blood and known to carry the deadly West Nile virus.
It's the Asian tiger mosquito, an invasive species that showed up in the county in larger numbers this year than ever before.
"There now seems to be a gradual trend that these things are gaining more of a foothold in the state," said Matt Mercer, Lancaster County's West Nile virus program coordinator.
As part of the program to monitor and control local mosquito populations, a team of workers every year sets up traps all over the county to capture mosquitoes to test for the presence of West Nile virus.
From 2003 through 2007, Mercer said, those traps captured a total of eight Asian tiger mosquitoes, which get their name from the white bands on their black legs and abdomens.
This year, the traps captured 98.
It's aggressive, fond of human blood and known to carry the deadly West Nile virus.
It's the Asian tiger mosquito, an invasive species that showed up in the county in larger numbers this year than ever before.
"There now seems to be a gradual trend that these things are gaining more of a foothold in the state," said Matt Mercer, Lancaster County's West Nile virus program coordinator.
As part of the program to monitor and control local mosquito populations, a team of workers every year sets up traps all over the county to capture mosquitoes to test for the presence of West Nile virus.
From 2003 through 2007, Mercer said, those traps captured a total of eight Asian tiger mosquitoes, which get their name from the white bands on their black legs and abdomens.
This year, the traps captured 98.
Ben Russell | Water Pollution Biologist II
Department of Environmental Protection
Southeast Regional Office
2 East Main Street | Norristown, PA 19401
Phone: 484.250.5109 | Fax: 484.250.5981
www.depweb.state.pa.us/blackfly
Department of Environmental Protection
Southeast Regional Office
2 East Main Street | Norristown, PA 19401
Phone: 484.250.5109 | Fax: 484.250.5981
www.depweb.state.pa.us/blackfly
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