An Asian tiger mosquito infestation was found in the San Gabriel Valley, Calif. neighborhood of El Monte last week, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The discovery was made after an El Monte woman called pest control workers to report that tiny mosquitoes were biting her in the middle of the day. According to the Times, the woman’s complaint raised suspicion because common mosquitoes typically attack during morning and evening hours.
A worker arrived at the woman’s house and trapped one of the insects in a plastic jar. "He took a close look at it, and he realized we might have a problem," Kelly Middleton, a district spokeswoman, told the Times.
What the worker found was an Asian tiger mosquito -- an aggressive, nonnative species that has caused outbreaks of tropical viruses in other states. The Asian tiger mosquito is native to Southeast Asia and can transmit viruses the common mosquito cannot, such as yellow fever, chikungunya and dengue fever. They can also spread parasites that cause heartworms in cats and dogs.
Authorities told the Times that they are worried that the insects, which are about half the size of normal mosquitoes, could spread disease if they gain a foothold in Southern California, so they are hoping to wipe them out.
