Michael Kaufman, a researcher in MSU’s Department of Entomology, said Michigan’s mosquito population is expected to be much larger this summer because of expected heavy rainfall and an overlap of spring and summer mosquito groups.

“I’m not sure it falls in the category of having the hugest mosquito populations around, but they are pretty big,” he said. “This happens every once in a while, where we get an overlap from what we call the spring and the summer group.”

Kaufman said mosquitoes in the spring group are one-generational and typically die out by the end of June. However, the summer group is a multiple-generation species and will lay eggs as often as adequate conditions — such as stagnant water in low lying areas — are present, he said.

“The summer ones, they tend to be a little more short-lived, but they keep reproducing over and over again,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman said his lab is responsible for determining whether mosquitoes in Michigan are carrying viruses and diseases. The mosquitoes that will be in abundance this summer are a species that has a very low risk for carrying disease, such as the West Nile virus, he said.

“The biggest single thing this group would transmit is not even a human disease — it’s dog heartworm,” Kaufman said.

The Michigan Mosquito Control Association, a nonprofit that provides information about mosquitoes to state residents, has noticed the increased mosquito numbers, said Mary McCarry, president of the association.

“Our rule of thumb is the more rain you get, the more mosquitoes you have,” she said.

“(The numbers are) expected to go up even higher because we’ve had additional rain over the weekend.”

McCarry said it is difficult to tell when the summer mosquitoes will die down because their hatching rate is dependent on the rain.

“What creates a lot of mosquitoes are areas that flood and dry and then re-flood and dry again,” she said. “Every time they dry down, mosquitoes will lay their eggs.”

There are not many options to prevent the mosquitoes other than repellent, Kaufman said.

“You almost have to live with them or consult a professional (pest control agency),” he said. “I’ve noticed more advertisements for them lately.”

For some MSU students, the increase in mosquitoes has had no effect.

“I’ve never really had a problem with mosquitoes,” accounting senior Ashly Jurek said. “I haven’t noticed them.”

But Taylor Jones, a prenursing sophomore, said she is staying on the first floor of Wilson Hall and the mosquitoes especially are plentiful in the dorms.

“I have six (bites) on my left arm and three on my right leg,” she said. “It’s kind of ridiculous.”