Minnesota's Mosquitoes Are Coming Back in a Big Way

They're an annoyingly familiar part of the warm weather season and now mosquitoes are set to come back in a big way here in Minnesota.

While the extreme drought that enveloped much of the Land of 10,000 Lakes the past several years took its toll on crops, lawns and lake levels across our fair state, one of the 'benefits' (if you can call it that) of that stretch of abnormally dry weather was that the mosquitoes weren't quite as bad.

I was today days old when I realized that there are a LOT of mosquitoes out there. Not just the number of them in your backyard here in the North Star State, mind you, but the total number of mosquito species. Minnesota's own Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) says there are literally THOUSANDS of species of mosquitoes:

There are over 3,000 species of mosquitoes worldwide and here in Minnesota we have about 51 different species that are established. Only about half of those local species are considered a nuisance meaning that they bite humans or can vector diseases.

In case you've never heard of it, the MMCD is a state agency created in 1958 and based in St. Paul that provides services to the seven-county Twin Cities metro area. MMCD says their mission is 'to promote health and well-being by protecting the public from disease and annoyance caused by mosquitoes, black flies, and ticks, in an environmentally sensitive manner.'

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And, the MMCD says that all this rain and stormy weather that's been frequently occurring across the Bold North this spring and early summer means we could now be seeing more of those uninvited summer guests.

Canva

According to the MMCD's latest weekly report, those frequent rains over the past several weeks have created high water levels which often means more mosquito eggs hatch and become abundant in the weeks that follow. With several inches of rain in the forecast in the next few days, the MMCD says it's likely these numbers will continue to rise. As of this week, the MMCD says the average number of mosquitoes collected in CO2 traps in Minnesota is already back to 'normal.'

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So if those blood-thirsty buggers seem to be invading your yard, the MMCD has five tips on creating a mosquito-free yard, so you can still get out and enjoy our all-too-short summer weather here in the Bold North:

Eliminate mosquito breeding sources
Control mosquito larvae
Use physical barriers
Control adult mosquitoes
Protect yourself

On the other hand, instead of battling those perky insects, perhaps you'd like to spend the summer inside. If so, you'll want to check out this incredible home in Minnesota that's actually more like a castle, with plenty of space for you to avoid those bugs. Keep scrolling to check out the pics!