It didnt take long for volunteers working in Carl Junction to notice the mosquitoes. Bug repellent quickly became a standard-issue supply.
We noticed them getting worse after the tornado, as people cut down trees, said Gary Stubblefield, a coordinator for recovery and cleanup efforts. We realized the need for bug repellent for our volunteers, and weve continued to put out a plea for it.
Increasing rainfall totals across the region have state health officials warning residents about mosquitoes, because of the diseases that some breeds can carry. The extra moisture effectively creates more breeding grounds for the insects, which can breed in as few as 10 days, according to information from the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Stubblefield said that recovery coordinators have asked for repellent donations since day two of cleanup efforts after an EF3 struck portions of Carl Junction on May 22. Donations have come in steadily, but more is sought each volunteer is given a can of repellent to use in the field, he said.
Because of more rain since the tornado and because heavy debris leaves behind indentations that collect water, Stubblefield predicts the pests will be back thicker than ever.
Weve handed out hundreds of cans, Stubblefield said. We have at least put a can in every volunteers hands, plus weve given some to residents as they are in their own yards working.
Predicting the number of mosquitoes capable of growing in a season is difficult, said Howard Pue, of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Some communities trap and test mosquitoes for West Nile virus one such test yielded a positive result in early May in Tulsa, according to a report published in the Tulsa World. Other tests check for Zika, Saint Louis encephalitis and other viruses.
Only a few varieties of mosquito three species of culex mosquitoes, specifically are capable of carrying West Nile virus, Pue said. The ones bothering volunteers in Carl Junction likely belong to species that are considered more a nuisance.
Nuisance mosquitoes are usually the first populations to take advantage of flooded conditions, Pue said. They can be big, really numerous and inflict painful bites. Some varieties, people might not even notice the bites. But those populations begin to die down as waters recede.
The standard breeding grounds for more dangerous types of mosquitoes are usually intact after floods recede. Small bodies of standing water can be left after floods and present a threat alongside locations where people normally keep containers on their properties.
In a press release, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment encouraged residents to clear such breeding grounds. Wading pools, buckets and other receptacles should be drained and kept on their sides when not in use, water in pet dishes and bird baths should be changed regularly, and standing water anywhere should be drained.
People are urged to protect themselves from bites by wearing protective clothing, limiting activity during dusk and dawn hours and using a repellent that contains DEET or other EPA-approved chemicals.
Preventing bites helps protect people against West Nile virus and other pathogens that can be deadly, according to the release. Pue said West Nile virus is neuro-invasive, and can cause anatomic lesions similar to polio. A case of West Nile virus has not yet been reported this year in Missouri, Kansas or Oklahoma.
West Nile is a threat, and people can underestimate it, Pue said. Most people who get infected dont show signs, but it can be a serious illness.
