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Mosquito problems plague normally busy outdoor seating areas at Port Aransas restaurants

Normally busy restaurant patios with views of the Gulf of Mexico are going unused due to the amount of mosquitoes in the area.

PORT ARANSAS, Texas — Mosquitoes have had the attention of most everyone these past few weeks. 

It's hard to say which part of town is getting hit hardest by the blood suckers, but business owners in Port Aransas said they are starting to take a bite out of business. 

"All summer we were doing well and then that first rain came in and they came in thick right after that," Albino Garcia Jr., General Manager of Trout Street in Port Aransas said. "It's hard for our customers to enjoy the view outside."

Trout Street has popular outdoor seating that offers views of the Gulf of Mexico, which normally brings in lots of customers. But, not so much recently.

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"It's definitely putting a damper on that, they will go sit outside and within five minutes are ready to go inside," Garcia said. "It's affected our business a little."

Outdoor dining customers aren't the only ones complaining about the mosquito invasion in Port A.

“Mosquitos are out of control in Port Aransas!” This photo, sent in by viewer Deena Mooney, shows how bad the mosquito...

Posted by KIII 3 News on Tuesday, September 13, 2022

"They're pretty prolific right now, we are getting lots of calls, so we are actively spraying," City Manager for Port Aransas, David Parsons, said. 

Parsons said if winds are below 17 mph, they deploy two mosquito trucks Monday through Thursday evenings to try and knock the mosquito population down before busy weekends. 

The City doesn't like to spray on weekends due to the amount of people they have spending time outdoors. 

Until the mosquitos are under control, Garcia said they are trying to provide relief for their customers and staff.

"We fog everyday with the insect fog to try and help but even with that, they are still thick and people are still complaining about it," Garcia said. "We just hope this cold weather comes in and kills them off."

In the meantime, Parsons said wind conditions look good to spray this week, and when the City sprays, they hit every street in Port Aransas. 

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