Recent warm weather and rain may be giving mosquitoes an early start in Santa Barbara County.

Brian Cabrera, general manager of the Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County, said the district has seen more mosquito activity than usual for this time of year and is urging residents to dump standing water around their homes before it turns into a breeding ground.

“Usually we don’t see these mosquitoes until like another month or two, but they’re already breeding,” Cabrera said. “[It] could be a busy spring here for us.”

The district routinely tests local mosquito populations for three main viruses: West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis virus and Western equine encephalitis virus.

Cabrera said a horse in the Santa Ynez Valley contracted West Nile virus last August and recovered.

In addition to those diseases, Cabrera said the district monitors for invasive mosquito species, including Aedes aegypti, often called the “ankle biter.” He said the aggressive daytime-biting mosquito can breed in extremely small amounts of water, sometimes as little as a bottle cap full, and even indoors. Aedes aegypti has not been detected locally since 2021, but Cabrera said it remains a concern because it is established in nearby counties, including Ventura County, and has been tied to locally acquired cases of dengue virus in Los Angeles County.

Cabrera said the simplest rule for residents is “no water equals no mosquitoes.” Because mosquito larvae need standing water to survive, he said people can help by surveying their yards and homes for places where water may have collected.

That can include obvious sources such as ponds, buckets or other unused containers, but Cabrera said mosquitoes also breed in places people may not think about, including children’s plastic toys, plant saucers, clogged rain gutters, folds in tarps and yard drains.

He said district staff recently found mosquito larvae breeding in rainwater collected in 25 buckets at one local home. Simply dumping out the standing water is often enough to kill the larvae, he said.

The district also offers free services to help residents address mosquito problems.

Cabrera said residents can request mosquitofish for ponds and other water features, and district staff can inspect properties to help identify where mosquitoes may be breeding.

Cabrera said the district’s dead bird pickup program helps monitor West Nile virus and operates year-round in Santa Barbara County. Residents who find a freshly dead bird with no obvious signs of injury should avoid touching it with bare hands, he said. The district advises residents to report the bird through the California Department of Public Health’s online reporting page.

More information about mosquito inspections, mosquitofish and other district services is available on the Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County’s website.