Santa Barbara County Finds 2 Invasive Mosquito Species, Traps 40-Plus in City Neighborhoods
Updated
Updated · Noozhawk · Jul 23
Santa Barbara County Finds 2 Invasive Mosquito Species, Traps 40-Plus in City Neighborhoods
3 articles · Updated · Noozhawk · Jul 23
Summary
Santa Barbara County’s vector district found a yellow fever mosquito in Carpinteria this month and an Australian backyard mosquito in Santa Barbara in March, marking two invasive, aggressive biters in the county.
More than 40 Australian backyard mosquitoes have since been collected in Santa Barbara’s Westside and Mesa neighborhoods, while traps for adult mosquitoes and eggs were deployed at both detection sites.
Aedes aegypti last appeared in the county in 2021 and can breed indoors in tiny amounts of water; its eggs can stay dormant for months before hatching when water returns.
Officials said both species can degrade residents’ quality of life and transmit viruses, urging people to dump standing water, scrub containers and report sightings to the district.