You might notice more mosquitoes during the summer, the reasons are not far fetched. This is usually because that’s when the insects are most active.
Mosquitoes are the most dangerous creatures on earth. Mosquitoes are carriers of the malaria parasite – which has killed almost half of the people that have ever lived. They are also vectors of other infectious disease, e.g, dengue fever, and Zika virus among others. These conditions are transmitted to people and animals through a mosquito bite.
Usually, summer is the best time of the year to “get outside”. While you may want to enjoy your summer outdoors, you may want to know when and why these biting insects are most prominent. This will help you know how to control them and help you keep the menace of these mosquitoes to a minimum ensuring that you enjoy your summer.
Mosquitoes and Seasons
The mosquito population fluctuates with the season and climate change. This is because mosquitoes are extremely sensitive to their environment. Like most insects, mosquitoes are endothermic – their body temperature fluctuates with their environment, and they cannot regulate their body temperature.
A mosquito is cold on a cold day and warms up on a hot day. Mosquitoes can die if they spend too much time in areas outside their comfort zone.
Temperature and rainfall greatly influence the mosquitoes’ ability to reproduce and survive. We can easily predict the population of mosquitoes with these factors.
Rainfall and mosquito breeding
Rainfall creates floods, which create puddles or bodies of standing water—an excellent breeding ground for mosquitoes. Female mosquitoes need at least an inch of stagnant water to lay up to 200 eggs, which hatch within one to two days.
For mosquito larvae to grow, the temperature needs to be around 7 to 16 degrees Celsius. Since the larvae are aquatic, they need a stagnant body of water where they will stay till they become adults.
The absence or draining of stagnant water will cripple the development of mosquito larvae and drastically reduce the number of emerging adults.
Mosquito and Summer
Mosquitoes are most noticeable and active during the summer because that is when the fresh larvae mature into adults. Also, mosquitoes are more hungry during this season, and the hot weather requires them to crave more blood meals.
Mosquito and Winter
Mosquitoes’ activities are less prominent during this season because many adult mosquitoes either die or lay winter eggs, which remain dormant until the spring rain comes and the weather is warm again.
Some mosquito species survive the cold weather. They are in hibernation all winter.
Control of Mosquitoes
Knowing that the presence of mosquitoes poses a danger to your well being, it is imperative that you take measures to curb their presence. Here are a few tips:
- Get rid of any stagnant water
- Clear grass to reduce mosquitoes’ hiding place
- Wear repellent that contains DEET.
- Plant mosquito repelling plants like lavender, citronella grass, basil, etc.
- Wear clothes with long sleeves and long pants when going outdoors.
- Wear light-colored clothes: mosquitoes are attracted to colors that absorb heat. colors like black and red.
- Regular bulbs attract more mosquitoes than sodium lamps and LEDs.
- Contact a professional pest control service to find out more ways to control mosquitoes.
