Recent Heavy Rains Could Lead To Spike In Mosquitoes This Summer In North Texas

GRAPEVINE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Flooding is not the only downfall of all this recent rain. Experts say mosquitos are coming out big time.

Residents who live on Grapevine Lake have noticed.

"You stop for just a couple of minutes and they find you," said Eric Ash. "It's all this rain we have had for two weeks."

Tarrant County has had three positive West Nile Virus samplings taken so far this season. One of which was in Grapevine.

Though rumor has it that cold weather kills them off, Grapevine's environmental manager Dewey Stoffels says the freezing temperatures from the winter storm won't make a difference in their population levels, and that it may be a worse year than usual.

"A lot of mosquitos do die off, but it's just that they reproduce so fast," Stoffels said.

He tells CBS 11, the conditions are perfect for continued breeding. The city is watching their traps for any more diseases.

UNT Entomology professor James Kennedy says he expects a surplus of floodwater mosquitos. He says they're not particularly dangerous, just a bother.

"I think we can look forward to a lot of nussiance mosquitos as we start to dry out, warm up. Right now, they are not at a peak, but they will increase as the summer goes on."

Experts say the best things you can do, are follow the four D's.

Dress properly, avoid dusk and dawn, wear DEET, and remove any drainage in your yard.