Do you wish summer could last all year long? Many individuals live in or move to warm and temperate cities to escape the frigid weather in other parts of the country. Want to wear shorts on Christmas Day? Try Orlando. Prefer flip-flops in February? Check out Houston.
There’s a catch to living where the sun is shining most of the year: mosquitoes.
Warm and humid environments are the perfect habitat for many pesky insects, including mosquitoes. Regarding mosquito season, Florida and other southern states don’t get much of a break from these annoying biting insects, which can transmit the Zika and West Nile viruses, among other illnesses.
Newcomers to these cities may wonder if getting a mosquito bite in winter is possible and what else they need to know to keep these pests away. Let’s explore these topics and other common questions about the mosquito.
Where Do Mosquitoes Go In The Winter? What About Flies?
During the summer months in the states along the Gulf Coast, any time you venture outside your home, you will likely return with a few mosquito bites. However, as we approach fall and winter, mosquitoes and other insects seem to disappear. Many people assume mosquitoes die off, but that is not the case. Since mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures, they become less active when the temperatures drop, so we are less likely to see them or get a mosquito bite. Many mosquito species stop flying in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and most types enter a hibernation state known as diapause during the winter.
One thing to remember is that temperatures in some of these more temperate areas can often stay above 50 degrees all day, even during winter. So, just because it’s technically winter, you could still see mosquito activity. What’s another place you can get bitten? Inside your home. When you open your door, you may not realize it, but mosquitoes can come indoors, where they are more likely to feed on you if the temperature is more suitable for them than outdoors. In a year with hot weather, hospitals have reported cases of the West Nile virus in December. Although it’s possible to get bitten by a mosquito in winter, it’s actually pretty unlikely.
Mosquitoes’ presence and concentration depend on whether the climate is ideal for their eggs. Unfortunately for us, a mosquito’s eggs can lay dormant in standing water for months.
The common house fly is another pest that seems to only hang around during the warmer months. Do flies hibernate during winter? Like mosquitoes, flies enter a dormant period during the winter and emerge in springtime when the weather is warmer. That explains why you must mostly deal with these two pests in the hotter times of the year.
Why Do Mosquitoes ‘Bite’ Us?
Contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes don’t actually ‘bite’ humans. Mosquitoes pierce the skin and suck the victim’s blood, and in the process, the insect’s saliva is deposited on the person’s skin. Most people describe a mosquito bite, characterized by that distinctive raised and itchy red bump, as the human body’s immune reaction to a mosquito’s saliva.
Mosquitoes feed on our blood, specifically a protein in our blood, to breed. Yes, you read that right. The only reason mosquitoes feed on us is to spread even more mosquitoes around! In fact, female mosquitoes are the only ones that bite humans at all. Male mosquitoes do not bite and feed on plant nectar.
How Long Do Mosquitoes Live?
A mosquito’s life cycle comprises the egg, larva, pupa, and adult. As we already mentioned, only female mosquitoes bite and feed on human blood and can only lay their eggs in or around standing water. The eggs will develop into larvae between 24 and 48 hours, growing into pupa within a week to ten days. Some varieties of mosquitoes only survive for a few days, at the most. Other types of mosquitoes can live for a month or even longer. Humid, warmer climates (such as in most of Florida, Texas, and the surrounding states) that are ideal for these pesky creatures can condense the life cycle process of mosquitoes, thereby increasing their numbers.
What Attracts Mosquitoes?
As we’ve already mentioned, female mosquitoes need to lay eggs in moisture, so these pests tend to be attracted to areas where water accumulates, including your birdbath, planters, children’s lawn toys, and even outdoor patio furniture. Parts of the country with many lakes, rivers, and a tropical climate often have the right combination of environments attractive to mosquitoes.
Since mosquitoes are primarily dormant during the hottest times of the day during the summer, they look for hiding spots in your yard. These pesky pests tend to gravitate toward dense vegetation, so keeping your grass cut and nice and tidy can make your lawn less inviting to mosquitoes.
ABC Can Help Control Your Mosquito Population
Mosquito control has always been a problem during the summer months in hot and humid parts of the country, while rodents are the most common pest during these cities’ winter months. ABC Home & Commercial Services has been protecting home and business owners from the risks of mosquitoes and other biting insects for years. Whether it’s mosquitoes in the summer, rodents in the winter or any pests at different times during the year, ABC’s qualified and trained technicians will identify the source of your problem and implement a practical, effective treatment plan that’s customized for your property.
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But where do they GO!?!