BEAUMONT, Texas — It feels like the mosquitoes are starting to take over after Imelda's floodwater brought an onslaught of the pesky bugs.
A second wave may be ready to invade.
After the flood waters recede the mosquitoes come around to breed, and now hundreds of people in Southeast Texas are spending time outdoors repairing homes damaged by Imelda.
One expert, Barry Bryant, works at Bill Clark Pest Control in Beaumont and says anyone planning to do any outdoor activities right now should keep a few things in mind.
"There's various specious of mosquitoes that will lay their eggs in areas that are flood prone," Bryant said. "Early mornings and late evening are when mosquito populations are most active. That's when they're foraging."
According to the Texas A&M Disaster Education Network, mosquitoes come in two waves.
When mosquitoes come with flood water, they're annoying but experts say they're harmless. Then they lay eggs.
It's the second wave of mosquitoes that carry diseases like the West Nile virus.
The Center for Disease Control says 8 in 10 people that have it show no signs of West Nile.
One in 5 show symptoms like fever, headaches and diarrhea.One in 150 people develop illnesses that affect the nervous system.
Bryant said to help keep mosquitoes away your house, you should get rid of any standing water, wear insect repellent and wear long sleeve clothing.
If all else fails, call the experts.
"This is mosquito reduction not mosquito eradication," Bryant said. "We'll never get rid of them. So anything you can do to reduce the amount of population around your structure and home the better it is."
