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If you think mosquitoes have been giving you a pass this summer, you could be right.
Hot, dry weather has been hard on the floodwater mosquito, a common Chicago pest and vicious biter.
However, the weather hasn't hurt the Culex mosquito, common carrier of the West Nile virus. It's a timid, sneaky biter -- so folks may be fooled into thinking they don't need to protect themselves.
"People can't let their guard down," said Mike Szyska, director of the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District in Wheeling. "Culex mosquitoes are very timid feeders. These girls -- and it's the female that bites and blood-feeds -- these girls are pretty sneaky. They'll go to the back of your legs, or feed at night when you're sleeping. That's what makes them very, very risky."
Floodwater mosquitoes lay eggs on dry soil. Rain helps them hatch. Without rainfall, "those eggs will just sit there," said Paul Geery of the Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District.
"Those are the ones that are real obnoxious and bite you all day," said Chris Anchor, wildlife biologist with the Forest Preserve District of Cook County. "They are very aggressive. Their numbers are down this year because we've had a very long, dry spell."
The Culex mosquito, on the other hand, lays eggs in standing water, like retention ponds, gutters and birdbaths. "Their numbers are building, so the risk is growing," Szyska said. West Nile activity peaks around the second or third week of August, he said.
"You still need to use your mosquito repellent," Anchor said.