Warmer temps have brought on biting bugs earlier than usual

In addition to standing water, he said homeowners should ensure that screens are properly fitted and repaired, keeping bugs on the outside where they belong. Mosquito larvae can be seen, specifically in the later stages, when they wiggle around and are darker in color, Dickson said. At that time, abatement officials should be notified.

Various districts throughout the state maintain websites where reports of mosquitoes can be found, as well as tracked. The UDOH also tracks the incidence of West Nile disease and where mosquitoes carrying the disease have been found.

While it may be early to be itching and scratching, conditions in Utah are much better than in many states on the East Coast, where dozens of cities were named on a recent list of U.S. cities most affected by mosquitoes.

According to a national survey of OFF! Insect Repellent consumers, 9 percent of respondents say they don't go outside without bug spray.

That number jumps to 34 percent in Richmond, Va., which has the country's highest prevalence of annoying mosquitoes, according to the study. Other cities in Virginia, as well as in North Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Georgia, landed among the nation's top 10 most mosquito-ridden.

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