Long Beach public health officials revealed Monday that mosquitoes belonging to a species capable of transmitting the zika virus to humans have been found in North Long Beach.

The newly-observed mosquitoes belong to the Aedes aeqypti species, which can carry the zika virus, dengue fever and other ailments. Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services officials have warned residents to be on the lookout for two species known to pass the zika virus to humans: Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. The mosquitoes are small, have black and white colorings and are regarded as more aggressive than mosquitoes that typically annoy Southern Californians due to their tendency to bite during the daylight hours.

The pests have already been observed in several Southern California cities and as far north as San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although the California Department of Public Health reports Aedes albopictus mosquito sightings in several locales in southeastern Los Angeles County, this is the first report of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in Long Beach, according to the city.

Following the discovery, people working for the Long Beach Vector Control Program and Compton Creek Mosquito Abatement District have set traps designed to capture mosquitoes and their eggs.

Aedes mosquitoes need only a small amount of standing water to breed, officials warn. Long Beach officials advise residents empty water containers on a weekly basis, to scrub bird baths and pets’ water bowls, check rain gutters and lawn drains for pooled water and to keep screen doors in good condition, among other precautions.

Human zika patients can transmit the virus to others by sexual activity. Pregnant women can also transmit zika to their unborn babies. The virus can result in microcephaly, a birth defect in which infants are born with abnormally small heads. That condition is linked to other problems including learning disabilities, seizures and trouble with hearing and vision.

The Long Beach Health and Human Services Department’s information on preventing zika infections is available online at http://longbeach.gov/health/diseases-and-condition/information-on/zika.