The start of summer and the recent spell of wet weather has led to an increase in complaints about mosquitoes, according to Bermuda Pest Control.

Justin Tavares, the operations manager for the company, said that he had received more calls about mosquitoes than usual, although he said the issue was not as significant as some might expect given the recent rainfall.

“It’s not surprising that people are seeing more mosquitoes and getting bothered by mosquitoes more because not only is this the season where all insects are typically coming out of winter, but with all of the rain we have had, we have a lot of temporary water spaces that are just not being taken care of,” he said.

“People have, for example, a bail bucket on their boat that’s left face up, and that can be a breeding ground. Once mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, they can hatch in one to four days, and it doesn’t take much longer for them to go from larvae to adults.

“We have had commercial buildings calling us saying that there’s a spot on their roof that doesn’t quite drain properly so they are dealing with mosquitoes.”

Mr Tavares said that those who want to prevent mosquitoes should address any standing water on their property.

“If people have a bucket outside, a trash can without a lid, an empty flower pot, anything that pools and collects water can cause an issue,” he said.

“It’s the little things people don’t think about. A soda can could be enough for a mosquito to use for a breeding ground.”

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health said that Vector Control had received “very few” calls about mosquitoes in recent weeks, but had set out to address the issue in light of the recent rain.

“Vector Control was proactive and sent their team out island-wide on May 27 and again on June 10 to put granules in drains and large pools of standing water,” she said.

“Mosquito breeding was found in some areas, and any standing water in containers was discarded.

“Vector Control has a robust mosquito programme and reminds the public to eliminate any standing water, buckets, tyres or other equipment or planters that can hold water around their properties, and report increases in mosquitoes at 278-5397.”

• For more information about how to prevent mosquitoes, visit www.gov.bm/mosquito-control