West Michigan summer traditions include:  sitting by a campfire, heading to Lake Michigan...and swatting mosquitoes.

Get your swatting hand ready.  It looks like a big year for the mosquito population in West Michigan.

All of our early spring rain and flooding has created a perfect breeding environment for mosquitoes.

I already had my first mosquito bites of the year last week.  Sounds like there are plenty more on the way.

WZZM reports:

According to Jack Den Uyl, the owner of Mosquito Squad of West Michigan, the mosquito population has tripled in areas compared to this time last year.

Mosquito eggs can lay dormant for up to two years. Due to all the standing water from the floods, Uyl says most of the mosquito eggs from the past three years will all be hatching this year.

"We are predicting we could see at least triple to even far more than what we saw last year because of the drought and heat," says Uyl.

West Nile Virus is spread by mosquitoes.  It was a problem in Michigan last year.  It could become a problem again due to this year's expected growth in the mosquito population.

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