Mosquito season is here early: What to know about protecting your family from disease

With longer, hotter summers and shifting weather patterns, Southern California is seeing mosquito season expand and spread to new areas. We're also seeing new types of mosquito-borne illnesses.

Mosquitoes may be tiny, and their bites may be annoying -- but in some cases, they can also be deadly.

"If you're in your backyard and you're getting bitten up by mosquitoes all the time, you probably want to do something about it," said pediatric infectious disease expert Dr. Desiree LaBeaud with Stanford University.

While there are 3,700 types of mosquitoes, the one we're hearing a lot about in Southern California lately is the Aedes aegypti. It's known for carrying diseases that used to spread in primarily tropical climates.

"Now we're starting to see them in other places," Dr. LaBeaud said.

The CDC says West Nile and dengue fever have been reported in almost every state.

Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns create the perfect conditions for these pests to multiply.

"The ones that spread dengue, and chikungunya, and Zika, and yellow fever really like it hot. So as the climate warms, they just are better and better at spreading disease," Dr. LaBeaud said.

Just a single tablespoon of standing water can become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

"The dog dishes, the flowerpots, just that little bit of water can actually breed these mosquitoes and potentially make you sick," Dr. LaBeaud explained.

So, how can you protect your kids? Doctors say you should drain outside standing water once a week and use an EPA-approved insect repellent containing 20 to 30% DEET. You can look for an EPA registration number on the back of the bottle.

Doctors also say you and your family should wear protective clothing.

"You can wear long sleeves, long pants. If you see a lot of dead birds around your neighborhood, that's a signal that West Nile may be circulating, so contact your mosquito control board," Dr. LaBeaud said.

If your child has a high fever, rash, or joint pain after a mosquito bite, see a doctor right away.

Of the two most common mosquitoes found in Southern California, one tends to bite more during the day, the other more frequently at night -- and the "night biters" tend to be much itchier than usual.

Dr. LaBeaud says parents should check the EPA website to ensure their child's insect repellent is safe and age-appropriate.