Warm weather that has sent thermometer mercury soaring close to records for the time of year is also keeping the numbers of mosquitoes on the Island at a high level for longer than normal.

By the end of October the insects have usually started to vanish as cooler air arrives, but that has not been the case this year. With the sea surface temperature hovering around 80 Fahrenheit and air temperature a few degrees higher the mosquitoes are enjoying an extended season.

Pest control officials are still taking a high level of calls from people experiencing mosquito problems. ?The warm weather we are having means the numbers of mosquitoes have not dropped off and it now looks like it won?t cool down until January,? said David Kendell, Environmental Health Officer. ?Just from the weekend I?ve taken six calls about mosquitoes.?

The sea surface temperature warmed up quickly at the start of summer but shows no sign of cooling down with any great speed, and that is having a noticeable influence on the warm days and nights being enjoyed by the Island.

Meteorologist James Morrison, at the Bermuda Weather Service, said: ?We are having temperatures in the 80s at the moment which is average for the month although some have been close to the extreme records. On Sunday the high was 83.7 compared to the same-day record of 84 in 1988.?

Keeping the Island?s mosquito population in check is the job of Mr. Kendell and his team and to achieve that they have set 600 mosquito traps in various locations, which means that at any given moment residents are likely to be no more than 1,000feet from one of the traps.

The mosquito traps may not look particularly scientific, merely open jars half filled with water and containing a stick to tempt female mosquitoes to lay their eggs. By collecting the sticks the pest control team can estimate how many of the mosquitoes there are and pinpoint hotspots.

However, in Bermuda the use of pesticides is held in reserve as a last resort as repeated use can lead to mosquitoes quickly becoming immune to the chemicals and because spraying is only successful against active mosquitoes and does not affect the eggs and larvae.

He said: ?We would only use pesticide fogging if we were 100 per cent sure that we had mosquitoes flying around with a disease in them.?

Over the past few months Mr. Kendell?s department has been encouraging people to help keep the mosquito population under control by doing a weekly tour of their property to get rid of areas of standing water, such as in buckets, tarpaulins, and plant pot dishes.