SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - With the midnight sun shining strong and the winter ice receding far back onto the lake, swarms of mosquitoes have started to hatch from their watery breeding grounds.

"They're not cool," said Tyler Properzi as he fended off the tiny, hungry bloodsuckers.

"They make you itch and they can give you West Nile virus."

Properzi said his preferred method of prevention against the bugs is wearing light-coloured, long-sleeved clothing.

"I try to stay away from DEET-based bug spray because it's bad for your skin," said Properzi.

As for the West Nile virus, the species that carries the virus in western Canada, Culex tarsalis, isn't found here. West Nile cases do turn up in Alberta, however.

Kells Bissell has been having a tough few days as the bloodsuckers built up their numbers. He reported having around a dozen bites on the back of his neck alone after walking home on Saturday night.

The website of Medical News Today says the best way to prevent mosquitoes from swarming around your property is to minimize the amount of stagnant water - getting rid of things that can catch rainwater like old tires or containers, or even holes in the yard that collect water.

"Water should never stand for more than three days," the website advises.

It's about time to think about methods to deal with the swarms, because Yellowknife only has a few months of warm weather and no one wants to spend them locked up inside in fear of being eaten alive.