Mosquito infestation plagues El Segundo residents; LA County Vector Control lays traps
An infestation of mosquitoes in one El Segundo neighborhood has created a months-long nightmare for residents, who are hopeful that mitigation efforts from Los Angeles County leaders will finally bring relief.
Los Angeles County Vector Control officials say that the influx of mosquitoes is likely from the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant, which has created breeding grounds for the annoying pests. They say they've been working to try and solve the issue since it was first brought to their attention in mid-December.
In an update to the mitigation plan posted on Jan. 2, city officials said that an inspection of the site revealed several breeding areas.
Vector Control and Hyperion staff laid six new traps along the greenbelt between the water plant and El Segundo on Wednesday, which they hope will help ease the large amount of mosquitoes.
"LA County Vector Control staff have been applying pesticides as needed," said the City of El Segundo's website. "Hyperion also has a private contractor on standby to apply pesticide, if needed."
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During a city council meeting on Tuesday night, LA County Vector Control Executive Director Aaron Arugay spoke on the infestation.
"Because of the time of year, it was a little unusual to see the spike in the winter; it's not what we're really accustomed to," he said. "I think it was a rain event, then some warm weather in addition to some maintenance issues in the facility, all combined to create the issue."
Some residents say that they've spent hundreds of dollars in recent weeks to try to solve the problem, with temporary solutions ranging from traps to essential oils.
"The community, we all started buzzing about it right before Thanksgiving," said Samantha Hedding, an El Segundo resident. "We went through our holidays like this. It was miserable. Then the weather got nice, it's still been miserable."
She says that her entire family is affected by the constant nuisance, which keeps her children up at night with over a dozen bites.
"It's not okay anymore. It's not okay," she said.
MaryAnne Wiley, another El Segundo resident living near the water plant says that she's killed as many as six mosquitoes in one night.
"I've gotten bit about three times on the face. My daughter got bit on the hand and she swelled up because she's allergic," Wiley said.
El Segundo Mayor Chris Pimentel urged residents to stay vigilant and dump any standing water that may be found on their own property.
"We still need people to be vigilant out there, because they do pop up in all manner of places and we have this level of infestation," he said. "Some that are laying eggs in new locations, it can pop back up, which is exactly what we do not want."
