‘Ankle biter' mosquitoes on the rise across San Diego

When Tropical Storm Hillary made its way out of town and left all that standing water behind in San Diego, "ankle biter" mosquitos made their way in.

Clint Lawter got most of his bites at Old Poway Park.

“I've gotten bit on by my arms, my legs, my stomach, everywhere,” Lawter said.

Aedes aegypti mosquitos were first detected in San Diego County in 2014. While Aedes originally called Africa home, they have now spread worldwide due to their love of both people and temperate zones. Also known as "yellow fever" and "ankle biter" mosquitoes, they are popping up all across the county.

They’ll bite you anywhere, but ecologists say they’re called “ankle biters” because they like to fly low.

“Because of that, you don't really hear them coming,” vector ecologist Chris Conlan said. "And most people don't realize until they either see them down there hugging their feet or they notice a bunch of bites.”

That’s something unique about this type. One mosquito could bite you multiple times in one sitting. They can also thrive in your home.

“It's not unusual to see them hanging out underneath the chairs or the kitchen tables,” Conlan said. “And then you sit down, and they go out and they try to bite.”

What concerns ecologists like Conlan is the mosquito’s ability to carry diseases like yellow fever, Zika or the West Nile Virus.

There haven’t been any reports of disease transmission reported in San Diego — yet.

“So far, so good,” Conlan said. “Knock on wood. Hope I didn’t jinx it.”

The best way to keep the ankle biters away is to remove even the smallest amount of standing water. Even a bottle cap full of water that stays put for a week is a prime breeding ground for the pests. If you do need to be around standing water, use mosquito repellant or cover up.

“If you don't put protection on one way or another, you're going to get bit whether you like it or not. Lawter said. "It's coming.”

Conlan said the pests will be establishing themselves around the county for a few months until they get slowed down by the cooler weather