Excessive heat adding to South Jersey mosquito population

As if the heat itself wasn’t causing enough problems, apparently, it’s also adding to certain kinds of bug populations in South Jersey.

Bob Kent of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s office of mosquito control tells NewsWorks one female salt marsh mosquito can lay between 200-300 eggs.

“She’ll do that on the moist surfaces of the marsh and then the heat will dry those eggs down, that conditions them to hatch,” Kent said.

As more of the marsh dries up in prolonged periods of hot weather, the more mosquitoes hatch.

“The heat has dried back so much more of the marsh than ordinarily would be dry, there’s that much acreage that’s lending an opportunity for these eggs to be laid and developed.”

To make matters worse, Kent says the development cycle of gnats and stink bugs speeds up when it’s hot outside.