Texas mosquitoes may not be carrying the Zika virus (yet), but they do bring the risk of other illnesses. And, of course, they’re just an all-around nuisance. With April bringing the start of mosquito season, here’s what you should know about these prickly pests:

1. Their numbers are greater than you think. Texas has about 85 different species of mosquitoes, a fraction of the 3,500 species found in various parts of the world. But only some of them carry diseases. The Zika virus isn’t being transmitted by mosquitoes in Texas, though the state is home to the Aedes species capable of carrying it.

2. A greater worry here is the Culex mosquito. This species transmits the West Nile virus, an illness with symptoms ranging from mild headache to high fever, tremors and disorientation. In extreme cases, the disease can cause a potentially life-threatening inflammation of the brain or spinal cord.

10 things to know as mosquito season begins in Central Texas photo
Jay Janner
Eda Gowdy with Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services is shown in 2012 demonstrating how a mosquito trap is used to capture the winged pests and test them for West Nile virus.
3. Six people in Bastrop County were infected in 2012 with West Nile virus. Three developed the most severe form of the illness and survived. Statewide, though, 2012 became the deadliest year on record for the virus, with 1,024 reported cases and 89 deaths.

4. But you could get West Nile without even knowing it. “Something like 30 or 40 percent of the people with the infection are asymptomatic, so they don’t know they have the infection,” said Dr. Gregory Morper, internal medicine specialist at Lakeway Regional Medical Center. “The (majority) of people have mild symptoms like a viral infection, and only 1 percent have the bad central nervous system response like meningitis, or cephalitis, or a polio-type response of muscle paralysis or complete paralysis.”

5. It remains a mystery why 2012 was such a bad year for West Nile virus. A number of factors could have contributed, said Christine Mann of the Texas Department of State Health Services, including an abundance of mosquitoes, an unseasonably warm winter, an increased number of infected birds and a more susceptible population.

10 things to know as mosquito season begins in Central Texas photo
Archive photo
Texas has about 85 different species of mosquitoes, a fraction of the 3,500 species found in various parts of the world.
6. We’re heading into mosquito season now. “The weather’s warming up. The birds are coming back. It kind of sets up a perfect storm,” state epidemiologist Nicole Evert said. The mild winter could mean earlier mosquito activity than usual, added Deb Strahler, a spokesperson for the Williamson County and Cities Health District.

7. The mosquito battle varies by community. Bastrop typically starts sending out city trucks in mid-April to spray for mosquitoes twice a week, then tapers down to once a week as conditions allow. But with increased concern this year about mosquito-borne diseases, Bastrop plans to send the trucks out three times a week. The city also plans to order EPA-approved tablets that can be thrown into standing water to kill mosquito larvae. Lakeway and some other cities also use these mosquito “dunks.”

The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department views chemical spraying as a last resort, as the pesticide reaches roughly 10 percent of the mosquitoes in a treatment area. But the department may deploy the trucks to areas where a mosquito tests positive for West Nile virus.

8. That’s why the experts monitor things. Officials with the Austin/Travis County health department and the Williamson County and Cities Health District, among others, use a trapping and testing program to collect data on what viruses are found in area mosquitoes. This helps them target their prevention efforts.

9. The common-sense tips work. Health officials recommend using insect repellent when going outside, wearing long sleeves at dawn and dusk when critters are most active, screening doors, turning on air conditioning and draining stagnant water, where mosquitoes breed. Remember to check for standing water in places normally out of sight, such as gutters, irrigation lines, runoff tubes or toys left in the yard.

10. It’s not just about you. Catherine Zettel Nalen, a mosquito surveillance specialist at the Williamson County health district, said it’s a personal responsibility for people to help stop the spread of mosquitoes. “When people protect themselves, they are also protecting their community,” she said.