IRONTON, Ohio (WSAZ) -- It's time to get out the bug spray. Bug bites during the summer of 2011 may be worse than normal in some towns and cities.

Rick Fraley with Ohio Pest Control has been spraying the city of Ironton for mosquitoes.

"They hatch every six days once you have rain," Fraley said. "Even rain can get in the leaves of the trees and lay there, and the larvae can hatch out."

The city of Ironton, Ironton's City Health Department and Ohio Pest Control teamed up to prevent mosquitoes from spreading deadly disease.

Lana Cherrington, Ironton's director of environmental health, says mosquito season is long and not fun.

"If it thaws out in the wintertime, you can have mosquitoes. It just depends on the temperature. They're around until really the first good hard frost," Cherrington said.

In just the past few weeks, Fraley sprayed Ironton twice. In a typical year he sprays three times total.

The reason: the region has already had record amounts of rain: 11 inches more than what's considered normal.

"To wait till somebody comes down with something and then do something about it, that's not the way you go about it," Fraley said.

The city is doing its part; the rest will be up to neighbors.

"Be aware of your yard, as far as standing water. It promotes mosquito breeding grounds," Cherrington said.

Officials are asking residents to check their back yards, gutters -- anything that could hold standing water, because something as small as a pop bottle lid can produce hundreds of mosquitoes.

Pest control workers say they're also working with cities like Portsmouth, Piketon and Proctorville to prevent any problems.