Hundreds of people will blanket the lawns of Rotary Park in Beavercreek Sunday to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Since mosquitoes are most prevalent at dawn and dusk, those people will be watching the fireworks while the largest numbers of mosquitoes are swarming.

Rotary Park backs up to the Beavercreek Wetlands. Recently, the Greene County Combined Health District received a large number of complaints about the blood thirsty insects around the Wetlands.

With the 4th of July celebration just days away, Mark Isaacson, program manager of the mosquito control program for the Greene County Combined Health District, set traps to catch the insects and gauge their population.

He speculates, the population is likely higher because of the warm, wet June weather.

“When you have a lot of wetness, or a lot of rain, you end up with areas of standing water, and then the warmer the weather, the more active the mosquitoes can be,” said Isaacson.

More active mosquitoes, means more mosquito encounters.

“I’ve heard them buzzing around my ears,” said Noah Knackstedt of Beavercreek. “It’s been really annoying.”

“I’ve seen a lot,” said Noah’s brother, Zach Knackstedt. “They buzz around and I hate them.”

The Department of Health and Human Services offers tips to mosquito-proof a home.

1) Install screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.

2) Drain any standing water, since it’s the ideal mosquito breeding ground.

3) Continuously check for mosquito breeding grounds and get rid of them.

People can also spray an insect repellent that contains at least six percent deet.

At Rotary Park, Isaacson said Greene County will likely spray to keep the mosquitoes at bay for the Fourth of July Celebration.

The Greene County Combined Health District will also send any mosquitoes caught in Isaacson’s traps to the Ohio Department of Health, in Columbus, to test for West Nile Virus.