They’re baaaack. If you spent time outside over the holiday weekend, you already know this is shaping up to be an intense mosquito season. 

The numbers are higher compared to years past, and the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District says they are getting a record number of calls from the public. One of the reasons: snow melt and flooding compared to drought conditions the past two years.

“A big impact this year are the high water levels.  Not just the ponds and streams but in the rivers. When rivers overflow, they tend to leave a lot of standing water that produces mosquitoes,” said Alex Carlson with the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District.

Carlson also says some of the hot spots are in northern Anoka and Washington counties and in St. Paul, right by the river.

As a result, mosquito-related products are flying off the shelves at places like Frattallone’s Hardware in St. Paul.

“People are coming in for products for their skin, but they are also wanting to put it around their yard.  They are buying foggers and so many things we just can’t keep them in stock,” said manager Amanda Theis.

Another product Theis recommends is “Mosquito Beaters,” a spray that sells for less than $20 and can cover about 5,000 square feet of your yard.

“You put it in a hose, and you spray your perimeter. You can go around your patio chairs,” she said.

Another popular product this season is a spray that includes permethrin in the ingredients. It’s meant to be sprayed on clothing — not directly on the skin — and helps prevent not only mosquito bites but tick bites as well.