I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I sure have. Mosquitoes everywhere. Buzzing, biting, day and night.
I’ve had the windows open more this week due to the heat and found myself swatting those buzzing bastards and still getting bitten at all hours of the day. After scratching at my ankle for the 10th time yesterday I started looking into what was going on. In my quest for knowledge I came across some news in this morning’s LA Times I thought was worth sharing for those who may not have a subscription.
Turns out West Nile virus-carrying mosquitoes are spreading across Los Angeles County faster than they have in 20 years. Officials said 2026 is the worst early start for the virus since 2004.
Worse in 20 years? Now I’m paying attention. The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District has confirmed 38 positive mosquito pools so far this season. The five-year average at this same point in the year is four. It started in May with detections in Pico Rivera and Long Beach. It’s now in 26 communities.
Confirmed infected mosquito findings so far this season: Pico Rivera, Long Beach, Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens, Sunland, Montebello, Signal Hill, Winnetka, Atwater Village, Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, Paramount, Northridge, Valley Glen, Carson, Artesia, Bellflower, Downey, Norwalk, Rowland Heights, Santa Fe Springs, Whittier, Woodland Hills, Canoga Park, Lakewood, and Porter Ranch. We reached out to the Los Angeles County West Vector Control District — the agency that covers West Hollywood — for local data. Haven’t heard back as of publication. Will definitely update you as if we do. 
It’s not just LA County. Orange County’s vector control found its first positive pool of the year June 2, in Newport Beach. The virus has since shown up in 10 cities, most recently Fullerton and Anaheim. Last year: four pools. 2024: five. 2023: one. This year: 38.
“We are above-average for this time of year,” said Miquel Jacobs, director of communications for the Orange County vector control district, in comments to the Los Angeles Times.
As of June 30, the CDC had confirmed 48 human cases of West Nile disease nationally. Thirty-eight were neuroinvasive, the kind that inflames the brain and spinal cord. The CDC said it’s the highest midyear count in more than 20 years.
One of those cases is in California. A Long Beach resident was hospitalized with neuroinvasive illness. The patient is now recovering at home, per the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. Age, gender, and where they were bitten were not known.
Most people who get infected never feel anything. Some — about 20% — get flu-like symptoms, fever and body aches, within a couple weeks of the bite. Goes away on its own.
The scary part is the 1% that goes neuroinvasive. That’s when it gets into the brain and spinal cord. The American Medical Association says that can mean paralysis, vision loss, coma. The CDC says about 1 in 10 people who reach that stage don’t make it. No vaccine. No specific treatment. Bad cases need a hospital.
No surprise here to learn folks over 50, or anyone with underlying health problems, are at higher risk for that version. There are no vaccine to date and no specific treatment either. If you have a bad case chances are you’ll need to be hospitalized.
In case you’re wondering about the chain of transmission, the virus lives in birds. A mosquito bites an infected bird, then bites you. That’s how it goes. You can’t catch it from a person.
What to do about it
Get repellent on exposed skin before you go outside. The label needs to say one of these: DEET, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, Picaridin/KBR 3023. Not just any bug spray.
Stay in between dusk and dawn if you can. That’s when these mosquitoes are active. Long sleeves and pants if you’re out during those hours. I know you’ve heard all this before, but with West Nile on the rise you may wanna actually do it this time.
Also, check out your yard or patios. Anything holding water — a pet dish, a pot saucer, a bucket, a clogged gutter — is a breeding ground. Dump it. Change bird bath and pet bowl water at least once a week. Check your window and door screens.
If you spot a neglected pool or unusual mosquito activity nearby, report it. Same goes for dead birds.
Now about those ankle-biting bastards. If you’re getting hit during the day — not just at dusk, not just at dawn, but at 2 in the afternoon — that’s a different mosquito.
Those are Aedes. An invasive species, small, black with white stripes on their legs. They showed up in Southern California around 2011 and they’ve been spreading into new communities every year since.
They don’t behave like the mosquitoes most of us grew up swatting. Native Culex mosquitoes — the ones that carry West Nile — come out at dusk and dawn. Aedes bite all day. They target ankles and lower legs because there are fewer nerve endings there, so you’re less likely to feel them until it’s too late. They bite the same person multiple times. They can bite through clothing.
Here’s the other thing: they don’t need much water to breed. A bottle cap. A plant saucer. The little tray under a pot on your balcony. Their eggs can survive completely dried out for up to a year and hatch the second water comes back. That’s why they’re nearly impossible to fully eradicate once they’re established in a neighborhood.
The good news, if there is any: Aedes do not carry West Nile virus. That’s strictly a Culex problem. What Aedes can carry is dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. There is no local outbreak of any of those in LA right now. But the mosquitoes are here, they are established, and health officials say the risk is real if an infected traveler gets bitten by one locally.
For now, same repellent rules apply. DEET, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, Picaridin/KBR 3023. And dump the standing water — every container, every week.
When Asian Tiger Mosquitoes (Aedes) first arrived in SoCal from SE Asia, they were devastating to all outdoor activities. This included gardening, patios, amusement parks and anywhere with potted plants, irrigation, fountains, pools and ponds. In short, it threatened our entire SoCal tourism economy. As someone who liked to garden and had lawn sprinklers, the ankle biters were quite a shock. It only takes a little water on a leaf for the eggs to hatch. Your readers need to know that the Vector Control District will respond to complaints and conduct an inspection to find their breeding locations. I highly… Read more »
Thank you for sharing this.
Very interesting, and informative.
I am always bitten when outside. Fortunately, it’s the Aedes monster, if those are our only two choices.
Did the California victim fully recover?
I recommend posting a picture, Brian.
Thank you.
Recovering at home, per the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services.
Thank you.
One of the things I loved about So. Cal is the lack of mosquitos..now that’s ruined too. lol Seems like between crime, homelessness, high taxes, high energy costs and now mosquitoes that will kill ya, it might be time to finally move on…but where to..the weather is still the best. lol