Invasive Aedes mosquito spotted multiple times across Ventura County

VENTURA, Calif. -- An invasive mosquito known as the Aedes Aegupti mosquito has recently been spotted in Simi Valley and other cities throughout Ventura County.

“There is a line on the back of the mosquito, that is a dead giveaway,” said Ron Ventura who is a supervisor with the Ventura County Environmental Health Division.

According to Ventura, the mosquito has white stripes on its back and legs.

“The Invasive Aedes mosquito is a non-native mosquito that is capable of transmitting some tropical diseases.”

Some of the diseases include Zika, yellow fever, dengue and chikungunyaand.

“The native mosquitos that we have here in Ventura County most like to bite during dawn and dusk, and their host is generally birds and small animals,” said Ventura. “But this mosquito definitely wants to be in and around your home and use you as their host.”

Officials say this mosquito bites aggressively during the day. They were first detected in Simi Valley in early September. But then there was another confirmation in the City of Thousand Oaks.

Just recently, the county received multiple phone calls regarding sightings of the bug in the City of Ventura. Officials started setting out traps in Ventura over the weekend. The city stated they also plan on setting out additional traps along areas with standing water, which includes around residents' homes.

“These mosquitos like to be inside the home,” said Ventura. “These mosquitos, in ideal conditions, can breed within seven days, so we are asking the public to really canvas their yards and look for any standing water that has been there for three days or so and dump and drain or tip and toss those containers.”

The county is asking any residents who suffer from mosquito bites during the day to report it to the mosquito complaint hotline at 805-658-4310.