It was summer too early, then it was spring too late, and now it’s summer again. Next up, mosquito season.

An unusual start to the warm season has altered the traditional beginning of mosquito season, bringing with it a higher number of disease-carrying insects than the pesky ones residents are used to.

Culex mosquitoes commonly carry the West Nile virus and thrive in hot, dry weather, said George Balis, entomologist at Roselle-based Clarke. They are prevalent in the warmer months of summer, but they have popped up earlier than usual because of a lack of spring rain.