Middle Georgia’s Public Enemy Number One
The Asian tiger mosquito’s first known sighting in the continental U.S. came in August 1985 near Houston, Texas. Since then, the species (also known as Aedes albopictus) has been found as far north as Minnesota; although it’s primarily distributed along the southeast, and Texas. In 1994, Georgia became the first state to document Aedes albopictus in all counties; we’ve since been joined by Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee.The rapid expansion of the Asian tiger mosquito can be contributed to its wide ecological flexibility. Known as a tree-hole mosquito, the Aedes albopictus can colonize in a wide variety of items such as decaying leaves, tires, soda cans, flower pots, bird baths, abandoned containers, or any other item that can hold rain water. Furthermore, the Asian tiger mosquito has a very broad host range. It’s an aggressive day biter that attacks humans, livestock, amphibians, reptiles and birds. With its ability to breed in urban settings combined with its host choices which include birds and humans, the Asian tiger mosquito is viewed as a public health concern, as it can possibly be a bridge vector for the West Nile virus.
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