How Minnesota fights July mosquitoes in February

(KMSP) - Preparations for mosquito season are already underway in the metro area. Crews have been to treat ponds and lakes to prevent a particularly aggressive mosquito species from becoming a problem in the summer months.

The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District is treating 100 acres of cattail marshes in the metro area for cattail mosquitoes that typically hatch around the Fourth of July. The crews place time-release capsules, called briquettes, containing methoprene on the ice. The material become active once the ice melts and releases the pesticide.

With the recent spike in warmer temperatures, crews are heading out earlier this year to get to some of the hard to reach marshes before the ice melts.