TYLER, Texas — With rain expected this week in East Texas, your home could be prone to mosquitos if it's not adequately maintained.
Mosquito season runs from April-October and experts say it's like a never-ending cycle.
"When it rains, give it about three days that's when you begin to see mosquitoes hatch out," said Mary Fowler, City of Tyler animal control supervisor, said. It's a never-ending cycle."
One of the common problems experts see is standing after it rains for an extended period of time.
"The number one thing we see is a collection of standing water, because it only takes one to three tablespoons of water for mosquitoes to breed," said Jason Pritchard, owner of Mosquito Authority in Tyler and Dallas.
Some of the items that collect standing water are bowls, flower pots and containers.
"When it rains, people don't think about emptying their containers, cleaning their gutters, or their pools that are getting ready for the mosquito season," Fowler said. "What I love telling people is with the water bottle caps; if those are filled up, those can produce 100 mosquitos right there."
Even trees that are damaged or uprooted can lead to a mosquito infestation.
"Holes in trees that collect water is one that's really overlooked a lot," Pritchard said. "Dead limbs fall out of a tree leaves a void and mosquitoes make a habitat out of it."
The city is also doing its part by setting traps and briquettes around watery areas to limit the number of 'skeeters.
"We're doing our part by hitting the creeks and ditches, but we're also educating the public about what they can do to help us and to help them," Fowler said.