WAUKESHA, Wis. — Nearly three weeks after historic flooding hit, residents are facing a new problem: swarms of mosquitoes that are making it practically impossible to enjoy the outdoors.
The flooding has created ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes, leaving families struggling to spend even a few minutes outside without getting covered in bug bites.
"They come out of the grass, they're rising up in like a cloud,"
owner of Mosquito Shield of Waukesha, Susan McBeth said.
McBeth has been working overtime to help residents deal with the unprecedented mosquito problem. Her pest control business has seen a dramatic surge in demand since the floods.
Watch: Pest control company works to combat swarms of mosquitoes after flooding
"Business has been booming since the floods," McBeth said.
The mosquito control specialist has been extending her hours and working with all available staff to meet the overwhelming demand for services.
"We're all hands on deck right now. We're extending our hours. So we're using basically all of the daylight that we can," McBeth said.
The volume of mosquitoes has been unlike anything the area has experienced before.
"The volume of mosquitoes is just incredible," McBeth said.
The Martinez family has been particularly affected by the mosquito invasion. Jamie Martinez called for professional help after his family became unable to enjoy their yard.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Martinez said.
Simple outdoor activities have become nearly impossible for the family.
"Just going out to get the mail, you get eaten alive right away," Martinez said.
The mosquito problem has prevented Martinez's daughters from enjoying the remaining weeks of summer outdoors.
"The last week, maybe two weeks, we just really haven't been able to out and do much, just given if you're out for five minutes you're going in with a lot of bug bites," Martinez said.
For residents dealing with similar mosquito problems, experts recommend eliminating standing water from properties. Mosquitoes can breed in surprisingly small amounts of water.
"Mosquitoes actually only need a bottle cap size of water in order to lay eggs," McBeth said.
Residents should check and empty water from flower pots, gutters, and children's toys to help reduce mosquito breeding sites and make outdoor spaces more enjoyable during the final weeks of summer.
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