As spring arrives and the weather gets warmer, inevitably, mosquitoes will soon make their appearance. While we all love the opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities, we also know that it comes with the annoyance of mosquito bites and the unbearable itching that follows. In this article, mosquito season: 23 tips to prepare, we’ll share ways to protect your property and yourself.
23 Steps To Prepare For Mosquito Season
If you’re a homeowner, one important thing to remember is that standing and/or stagnant water sources can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Even a small amount of standing water, like a bottle cap, puddle, or tree hole, can be enough for female mosquitoes to lay their eggs.
Here are 23 simple steps to prepare for mosquito season:
- Eliminate standing water from containers, tarps, uncovered boats, hot tub covers, and rain collection barrels.
- Drill holes in the bottoms of recycling containers and trash cans so they drain.
- Flush out your gutters: Remove leaves and debris and repair any damages.
- Flip over little kids’ plastic pools and wheelbarrows when you are not using them, or store them in a covered area.
- Install a floating pond fountain to move water around in your ornamental pond.
- Dispose of any old tires. If you can’t remove them, drill holes to let the water drain.
- Spray the lawn with one of the best mosquito yard sprays. And don’t forget to maintain your lawn. Tall grass provides shade where mosquitoes like to rest during hot summer afternoons.
- Clean and scrub your flowerpot saucers. Then, overturn them to dry.
- Live a “mosquito-free lifestyle” in the 21st century with a mosquito-repellent device.
- Drop a larvicide known as a mosquito dunk (Bti) into your fountain, birdbath, ornamental pond, or rain barrel.
- Get mosquitofish, which eat mosquito larvae, for your ornamental pond.
- Keep a close eye on your bromeliad plants. Water can sit between their leaves, creating the perfect breeding place for a mosquito population.
- Fan those “blood-sucking varmints” with a good dose of confusion:
- Mosquitoes are not strong fliers, so a fan will disorient them.
- Keeping them away with a fan will also prevent them from detecting our carbon dioxide and sweat.
- Make your own essential oils from plants that repel mosquitoes. They hate the smell of basil, lavender, and rosemary.
- Repair house screens that are damaged or have rips and holes.
- Avoid dawn and dusk activities outdoors — that’s when mosquitoes are more active.
- Start wearing insect-repellent clothing.
- Apply 0.5% permethrin to clothing and gear.
- Wear lighter colors and loose clothing, including long sleeves and long pants. (Mosquitoes prefer darker colors.)
- Spray them with foggers around your yard. (Use a bee-safe product to protect our pollinators.)
- Trap them in mosquito traps.
- Zap them using a mosquito zapper. (A light attracts the mosquito. It’s drawn in, electrocuted, and vaporized.)
Use our carbon dioxide scent to your advantage with a CO2 trap. Mosquitoes love our carbon dioxide scent. They’ll be drawn to the scent and die.
When is Mosquito Season?
If you’re curious about when mosquito season starts, you’re not the only one. Generally, it’s a good idea to start considering mosquito repellent once the temperatures stay consistently above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Of course, the exact timing of mosquito season can vary depending on your region, the species of mosquito, and the temperature.
Mosquito Activity in the Different Seasons
Mosquitoes have a unique way of regulating their body temperature. Unlike humans and other warm-blooded animals, mosquitoes are ectothermic, meaning that the temperature of their environment regulates their body temperature.
Mosquitoes in the Spring Season
Temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit signal to mosquitoes that the spring season has arrived. Their activity level corresponds with the rise in temperatures, with 80 degrees Fahrenheit being the “sweet spot” for mating, feasting on us, and laying eggs.
In the spring, female mosquitoes come out of hibernation and their previously laid eggs begin to hatch. This is also when they start their breeding cycle — they must be quick because male mosquitoes only live for about 10 days.
Note: Female mosquitoes need a good meal to produce new eggs after mating. To produce viable eggs, she requires human or animal blood.
Mosquitoes in the Summer Season
Summer is considered party time for the mosquitoes — Eat, drink, mate, and lay eggs! They thrive in humid, warm environments and are most active now. Additionally, warmer temperatures speed up their life cycle, leading to more hatching and egg-laying.
Mosquitoes in Fall and Winter Seasons
Depending on the species, sluggishness sets in for mosquitoes during the fall. They are less active when the females hunt for places to hibernate in the winter. When temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, females will go into diapause.
This diapause, or dormancy, puts the female mosquito’s body in a kind of “suspended development,” slowing down its metabolism and delaying development. She will emerge from diapause when temps start to hit 50 degrees F and trend upwards.
Mosquito Life Cycle and When To Go After Them
If you match each stage of their life cycle with a corresponding treatment method, you can target mosquitoes where it hurts the most and keep them at bay. A mosquito goes through four stages of development during its life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Egg
Interestingly, mosquitoes have unique preferences when laying their eggs. Each species has its distinct habitat and method for egg-laying. Just like with humans, different strokes work for different folks! Here are some examples:
- Culex female mosquitoes lay their eggs one by one in stagnant water. They’ll form an egg raft of 100 to 400 eggs.
- Anopheles female mosquitoes lay eggs on the water individually, not in rafts like the Culex.
- Aedes female mosquitoes prefer dry containers, damp soil, birdbaths, fountains, or tree holes to lay their eggs. The eggs will hatch when these areas are saturated or flooded with water.
Egg Control Method
Female mosquitoes need a place to lay their eggs. Removing standing water in your yard makes them look elsewhere.
Larva
Once the female mosquito lays her eggs, those eggs will develop into the larval stage within 24 to 48 hours. These “wrigglers” live in water and use siphon tubes to breathe.
Larval Control Methods
Using larvicides during this stage of development will kill the mosquito larvae and prevent them from growing into pupae. Here are a few different types of larvicides:
- Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti): Mosquito dunks made of Bti contain non-toxic bacteria that kill mosquito larvae. These small donut-shaped disks are designed to be placed in standing or stagnant water of ornamental ponds, birdbaths, and fountains.
- Insect growth regulators (IGRs), films, oils, and liquids disrupt the larvae’s molting process and suffocate them when they come up to breathe on the water’s surface with their siphon tubes. Pyriproxyfen and Methoprene are commonly used.
Note: Typically, licensed pros apply IGRs and oils, films, and liquids, but homeowners can use Bti as a DIY option.
Pupa
Pupae, called “tumblers,” are still in a chrysalis, or protective cocoon, but can move and respond to their environment. At this stage, their skin will molt several times in the two to three days before adulthood.
Note: During winter, mosquitoes can adjust the timing of other life stages to avoid pupating.
Pupal Control Methods
IGRs, oils, films, and liquids also work on pupae. These methods suffocate the pupae when they come to breathe at the water’s surface.
Note: Bti is ineffective at this stage, as it kills only larvae.
Adult
The females are now fully grown and need a blood meal (us). They need this important meal for viable egg production. The male mosquitoes don’t bite us, they prefer nectar.
Adult Control Methods
Homeowners can use mosquito yard sprays that contain synthetic chemical pesticides or natural ingredients to kill adult mosquitoes. Local city governments use these and apply them as with an ultra-low volume spray — a few examples of common active ingredients in these sprays include deltamethrin, sumithrin, and d-phenothrin.
FAQ
You’ll have peace of mind knowing you took the necessary steps to ensure you have prepared for mosquito season. Here are some reasons why you’ll feel so much better:
• You have reduced your risk of contracting mosquito-borne illnesses. This means you can rest easy knowing that you are doing everything possible to protect yourself and your loved ones from the potential health risks of vector-borne diseases.
• You’ve created a mosquito-free zone for more quality outdoor time. Not only will you prevent mosquito bites, but your yard will also be protected. Imagine being able to relax outside without worrying about being bitten.
• You’ve protected your pets. A dog mosquito repellent protects your pooch from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illnesses, such as heartworms.
Yes, companies have developed many natural mosquito repellent options for consumers, and the good news is they don’t contain DEET. The majority come in spray form.
Those buzzing mosquitoes are attracted to our scents! They love when we exhale carbon dioxide and that sweaty smell when our pores excrete lactic acid. To a mosquito, our smells are like the most expensive perfumes and colognes on the market.
The female mosquito will be drawn in to bite us for her blood meal — the male is more of a nuisance mosquito.
Call In The Pros
Pest Gnome connects you to the best pest control experts in your area. The pros will take all the guesswork out of mosquito control and know how to go after those pesky mosquitoes with a vengeance.
Main Image Credit: Juan Rodriguez
