Mosquito season is in full swing

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Memorial Day weekend provided a lot of people with their first taste of outdoor cookouts, and their first taste of mosquito season.

The city of Springfield treats the water at Forest park, but people out enjoying the warm summer night were still swatting biting bugs.

People we spoke with said they battle bugs with tiki torches and bug repellant, but it never seems to keep them totally away.

"There's a big increase. It's a bug to come outside. The kids are running around, and they can't stop without the bugs getting them," said Patrick Merced.

Jen Cosgrove told 22News, "We're already noticing that we're getting bitten while we're out, and that seems kind of early. But every year we seem to say 'gosh, those bugs are coming out, and they're ferocious!'"

The experts advise you to avoid being outside at peak hours, dusk and dawn, and to make sure you don't have any puddles or pools of stagnant water in the yard, and use insect repellant with Deet.