LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — You may notice it's been a bit cooler here in our Valley, but it's not quite time to ditch your mosquito spray or cream just yet.
An expert tells me, mosquito activity is up right now in our valley.
VIDEO: Ryan Ketcham goes to the UNLV PARAVEC Lab and learns more about how to help repel mosquitoes
I asked local Phil Holliday if he's seen an increase in mosquitoes, too.
"When I lived here before there were none, it was like I never noticed them," said Las Vegas local Phil Holliday.
I caught up with Holliday at Sunset Park on Monday. He first moved to Las Vegas in 1986, before leaving for Florida about four years ago, but now he's back, and he has seen a change.
“Now I come back from Florida, and I thought I brought them all back from there. I guess they’re hatching out here again now," said Holliday.
It's not just Holliday seeing an increase in mosquitoes, though.
I went to the UNLV PARAVEC lab, where they track all things mosquitoes to find out what's going on.
“In the last few weeks, there was a few rainfall, there was some showers, so anytime there is rainfall, there is an increase in mosquito activity going on," said Dr. Trishan Wickramasinghe, who is a researcher and PhD student at UNLV with the PARAVEC lab.
Dr. Wickramasinghe showed me around the lab Monday, where they house thousands of mosquitoes. He tells me they're not just seeing an increase now, but they're also seeing increases annually.
WATCH | Hailey Gravitt explains what researchers plan to do once they collect the data.
“Increasingly, there’s more and more mosquito activity compared to previous years before," said Dr. Wickramasinghe.
He says that's due to a new mosquito species that was introduced to Clark County in 2017, which has been rapidly growing since, but how do you avoid them?
Hailey Gravitt spoke to local officials to learn more about this species and what's being done about them.
Dr. Wickramasinghe says you can do more than tending to your pool and eliminating standing water.
“CDC recommends you use popular repellents," said Dr. Wickramasinghe. “Keeping your house cool sometimes that helps too. Then you can use lotions and other things.”
He says it's all about masking your smell, but adds they're not just attracted to scent.
“Mosquitoes are attracted to your heavy breathing, your body warmth," said Dr. Wickramasinghe. “Dark colored clothes are more attractive to mosquitoes than light colored clothes.”
Window and door screens can also help.
“Mosquitoes can’t penetrate through the mesh," said Dr. Wickramasinghe.
Along with the UNLV lab, the Southern Nevada Health District has this interactive map with more details on mosquitoes in our valley.
Despite the increase in mosquito activity, experts tell me that as the temperature continues to drop, activity should decrease to close out the year.