We’re joined by mosquito and disease expert Dr. Louisa Messenger of the Las Vegas PARAVEC lab. It turns out that gators and snakes aren’t the big danger in a swamp. And this monster isn’t constrained to swamps. In fact, it’s probably in your own backyard.

The Southern Nevada Health District has confirmed the season’s first cases of West Nile virus, underscoring an urgent public health alert. According to a press release from the agency, a man in his 60s contracted the non-neuroinvasive form of the virus, while a man in his 70s faced the more severe neuroinvasive type, which causes inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), or inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis).

Summer is the season for the reemergence of bugs — not just the American cicada — but all types of indoor and outdoor bugs. You’ll spot silverfish, carpenter ants, ticks and spiders. With so many insects, you may be wondering where bugs go in the winter.

Two cases of West Nile virus have been found in people, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. SNHD reported the first case of West Nile virus in mosquitoes just over a month ago. Today they announced two men have contracted the illness and are in recovery.

If you are planning a trip to the ninth island in the coming months, make sure to wear insect repellent. Health officials warn of a record number of mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus around Las Vegas.

With summer outdoor activities in full swing, everyone’s looking for ways to keep mosquitoes, flies and other pests at bay — and Irish Spring soap is a perennial trending solution. In this YouTube video, the host places a bar on the porch, rubs it on doors and tables, puts grated flakes in various locations and dissolves it in water to spray plants and her own skin.

Unlike her stealthy common cousin, the female yellow fever mosquito prefers to feed on humans and doesn’t wait for nightfall to take a bite. Aedes aegypti, an aggressive urban mosquito commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito, was first identified in four North Las Vegas zip codes in 2017. By 2022, the yellow fever mosquito was found reproducing in eight more zip codes in Southern Nevada.

While mosquitoes can be annoying to humans, they can also be dangers for our four-legged friends. As a dog owner, it's something I haven't had to really worry about living here in the desert ..... at least until now.