As winter winds down, the days grow longer and the weather slowly begins to warm up. The beauty of it all almost makes us forget that it’s about time for mosquitoes to come out again. As many people know, mosquitoes are more active when it’s warmer outside. This is unfortunate because the same is also true for humans. Many of us, especially those of us with pleasant outdoor spaces, hope to get in as many comfortable afternoons and evenings outdoors as we can before mosquitoes come out in full force once again.
Of course, different people react to mosquito bites differently. Not everyone finds them terribly itchy and annoying, though many people do. Additionally, these pests seem drawn to certain people more than others—is it due to differences in pheromones? Carbon-dioxide output? Body heat levels? Do some people just have sweeter blood? Are mosquitoes attracted to perfume? As you feel yourself getting bitten, many of these types of questions likely cycle through your head.
When mosquitoes come out depends on the mosquito species, the location, the time of day and how mild or wet your area experienced a winter. This can change from year to year.
When Are Mosquitoes Active?
Certain types of mosquitoes are most active during the day, while other types are more active at dawn or at dusk. Most types of mosquitoes are most active when it’s warmer than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Below that 50-degree threshold, most varieties of mosquitoes either die off or go into hibernation. But above that threshold, the eggs that female mosquitoes have laid in water—even eggs that were laid months earlier—begin to hatch into larvae. This ultimately leads to new swarms of adult mosquitoes that seem to exist solely to torment people who are sensitive to their bites.
Unfortunately, in warmer, wetter states, mosquitoes become active when it’s consistently above fifty degrees outside. This means they can be a nuisance as early in the year as February and stay bothersome well into October or even November. It’s important to note the steps you can take to make your home and your outdoor living spaces as unappealing for mosquitoes as possible.
How To Prevent Mosquito Activity Around Your Home And Yard
Mosquitoes require moisture to live, and any standing water inside or around your home, even just a very shallow pool of standing water in a planter or in leaves that have collected in the yard, can be the perfect spot for mosquitoes to lay eggs. The first step to keeping mosquitoes out of your yard is to eliminate any standing water that collects after a rain or watering your yard.
To start, look in bird feeders, old tires, planters and even house plant saucers for standing water. Look for any tiny, thin, whitish or light-brown larvae in the water that are about a quarter-inch long. They might be hanging at the surface of the water and twitching in a repetitive jerking motion. These are likely to be live mosquito larvae that have already hatched from eggs.
To control mosquito larvae, some people try natural approaches such as adding dish soap or apple cider vinegar to standing water. It may not always be feasible to use these approaches, however, especially if you are trying to get rid of mosquitoes inside your home. Unfortunately, mosquitoes can breed and thrive indoors. In fact, they can do so quite comfortably since most people keep their homes at a comfortable temperature throughout the year. This is why contacting a pest control company with a proven track record of reducing mosquito populations is often a more effective approach.
How To Deter Mosquitoes
One of the best strategies for reducing mosquito populations involves making sure water can’t collect, so mosquitoes have no place to lay eggs. If you find standing water either indoors or outside, be sure to dump it out. If needed, take steps to prevent water from collecting in the future, such as leveling the ground, installing gravel so that water can drain and disperse or drilling holes in the bottoms of planters or other bins so that water won’t get trapped in these areas.
It’s also important to fix any leaks in or around your home. This includes even small drips in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room. This way, mosquitoes won’t take up residence around those areas and lay eggs. Standing water can also collect outdoors in dead leaves and untended gutters, so keep debris cleared away from your yard. Make sure the gutters and downspouts on your home and garage are clear and functioning properly.
By taking these steps, as well as using an effective mosquito repellent during the seasons and times of day when mosquitoes are most active in your area, you may be able to reduce mosquito activity around your home. It can be difficult to keep up with the yard and gutter maintenance required to keep mosquitoes at bay. For many homeowners, the most effective option is to reach out to a pest control specialist for help with reducing mosquito populations.
Do Male Mosquitoes Bite?
Many people hear that females are the only mosquitoes that bite and wonder whether or not this is myth or fact. Since the males of the species obviously have to eat, too, many people believe that this must be a myth. However, the truth is that only female mosquitoes bite humans. The males of the species feed on flower nectar and will not bite us.
Incidentally, female mosquitoes also feed on flower nectar. They actually consume human blood only for the purpose of helping their eggs mature before laying them in water. Despite the fact that the itchy, red bumps caused by mosquitoes are almost universally called “mosquito bites,” female mosquitoes don’t actually bite humans. Technically, they insert a straw-like mouthpiece called a proboscis into human skin. Mosquitoes inject their saliva into their victims’ blood. Then, they suck the blood back up through the proboscis.
If you notice yourself or your family members itching a lot when spending time outdoors, it’s time to contact a reputable pest control professional to deal with the problem before it gets worse.
When dealing with high mosquito activity in your area, you may wonder if keeping the perimeter of your home clear of potential mosquito breeding areas is enough to prevent these pests from biting you.
How Far Can Mosquitoes Fly?
Many species of mosquito that are commonly found in and around people’s homes cannot fly farther than about 300 feet. Since many standard-sized lots in neighborhoods across the U.S. are 30 to 40 feet wide, this is equivalent to the width of about seven to ten lots. That means most mosquitoes are regularly moving across your entire immediate neighborhood.
The bad news is that certain varieties of mosquito are able to fly much, much farther than just 300 feet. Some can even fly for many miles. Wind can carry these pests even farther than they could fly on their own strength.
When mosquitoes are pursuing their prey, us, it is believed that they find and follow them by tracking their carbon dioxide output, and then by their body odor and heat levels. However, research into this subject is ongoing. Scientists still have a long way to go in understanding why mosquitoes behave the way they do. Until then, the best way to limit your exposure to these pests is by reaching out to a reliable pest control specialist.
ABC Can Help With Your Mosquito Problem
Between the numerous diseases that mosquitoes can transmit and the itchiness of mosquito bites, it’s understandable to want as few of these pests on your property as possible. With the help of the mosquito control specialists at ABC Home & Commercial Services, your home and yard can be a safe haven from these pests. We’ll put measures in place to halt the mosquitoes’ reproductive cycle, as well as eliminate adult mosquitoes and offer you advice on how to make your home less appealing to these annoying pests.
