Mosquito Population Growing

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Story Published: Jun 21, 2009 at 6:20 PM PST

By Sade Malloy

YAKIMA -- Action News has confirmed the problem of mosquitoes in the Lower Valley is real and we've uncovered why it may not be going away.

A week after we first covered the mosquitoes taking over the Lower Valley, locals are still looking for answers with seven repellents on hand even on Father's Day. "You can't have a bbq. You can't really enjoy the summer months or the outside evening weather because there are too many mosquitoes," says Linda Bordwell of Mabton.

The Benton County Mosquito Control District confirms what homeowners have been telling us: the number of mosquitoes in the Grandview-Mabton area are up. They blame a late, wet spring and higher water levels for the increase. "Mosquitoes are still putting their eggs in year after year but when you have a flood event you have multiple years of mosquitoes that can hatch at the same time," says Kevin Shoemaker with Benton County Mosquito Control.

The bug situation is even worse for the folks in Sombrero Arena because they can't count on spraying for relief. Benton County Mosquito Control doesn't cover their part of Mabton and Yakima County Mosquito Control stops in Union Gap. That leaves homeowners in Sunnyside, Outlook, Granger, Wapato, Zillah, Toppenish and part of Mabton to fend for themselves. "Spraying for mosquitoes you spend a $150 for two days and they're back because of a whole new crop," says Linda Bordwell.

Benton County Mosquito officials say it all comes down to costs. The only way to change that would be for folks in Mabton to get annexed into a mosquito district.

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