Mosquito madness: Where are all these pesky insects coming from?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — If you’ve been outside trying to enjoy the weather and you find yourself swiping at massive amounts of mosquitoes, you’re not alone.

Mosquito Joe of Rochester says the Gates-Chili area is seeing the most of this pesky bug. If you have pools of water sitting in your backyard, be careful because that’s the perfect breeding ground for more.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook, and this is not something that has happened in prior years at this time frame, especially specific to a geological location,” Mandi Jenkins, the office manager for Mosquito Joe, said.

Because mosquitoes have been relentless this year, Jenkins says they’ve signed up over 50 new customers just this week.

"Personally, I was like, what is happening because this is not normal for this time of year,” Jenkins said.

Since heavy rainfall creates the perfect nest for them to breed, like in clogged gutters or water on top of a pool, why is this year so bad? Experts in the Rochester area say they’re seeing more mosquitoes now than in previous years because of heavy rainfall this summer.

"The end of last year, we were at a deficit for rain. We had a dry winter for snowfall, and it was dry through the end of June," Marci Muller, who serves as the horticulture team leader for Cornell University, said. "Then all of the sudden, we got all this water, and the eggs are hatching, and they’re making up for losttime."

How can you minimize mosquitoes around your home? If you don’t want to hire a team to spray a barrier on your lawn, or spruce up your backyard, check your gutters and pool.

"Clean out the gutters or clean out the pool, and you’ll see less activity, for sure,” Jenkins added.

Jenkins suggests you should not do any DIY projects.

"People will go out and buy the light zapper, but light attracts them, and it’s not going to kill them," she said. "It’s only going to bring more."

Make sure to apply bug repellent if you’re going outside. While an uptick in mosquitoes can raise concern for insect-borne diseases like West Nile, experts don’t believe there is any threat in the Rochester area.