Santa Barbara County Vector Control on ‘High Alert’ for Asian Tiger and Yellow Fever Mosquitoes
White-Striped Invasive Bloodsuckers Can Transmit Zika, Dengue, and Other Serious Viruses
Pictured from left, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) and yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) are nearly identical and feature distinctive white stripes. | Credit: Susan Ellis/Bugwood.org and CDC/Frank Hadley Collins, University of Notre Dame
Californians are being warned to watch their backs, dry out their backyard, and arm themselves with insect repellent. As the weather warms and the region dries from recent heavy rains, pests are rearing their heads and laying their eggs.
Two particularly nasty species of invasive mosquitoes have been popping up around the country and in cities throughout California, according to the California Department of Public Health.
These bloodsuckers are known as the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) — highly adaptable species of small, black mosquitoes with white stripes on their legs.
