IC’s Dr. Zettler talks mosquitoes, other insects to look out for

By Gary Scott on June 14, 2017 at 7:27am

Area residents have surely noticed the rising temperatures over the past few weeks, and maybe even a rise in mosquitoes and other insects.

Starting last week, the state of Illinois received its first reports of mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus in Godfrey. And as summer is officially kicking into high gear, it’s likely the area sees an increased amount of bugs.

Illinois College Biology and Entomology professor Dr. Larry Zettler provides some reminders for local residents when it comes to dealing with mosquitoes.

“With mosquitoes, just keep in mind that those are the bad actors that we should watch. Getting rid of stagnant water here helps. It’s dry right now, there’s pockets of water that they’re breeding in I’m sure, so wearing sunscreen in addition to some repellent is always wise. The gnats will eventually dissipate when it gets hotter and into the summer, but mosquitoes are going to be around for the duration, until the first frost, and just be aware that they do transmit things like West Nile here,” says Zettler.

Dr. Zettler, along with his student and research colleague Conner Melton joined WLDS’ “What’s On Your Mind?” program last week. Hear our full interview with them in the “What’s On Your Mind?” tab.