By: Patrick Troyer, Education Specialist
How many times have you been sitting outside and always seem to be swatting at mosquitoes constantly? As much as many of us enjoy the outdoors, we certainly do not enjoy anything biting us. We all know that with the warm weather of spring and summer also comes the insects. Sure, it might help to spray some repellant on you but don’t you think there must be a simpler way to get rid of them isn’t there? There sure is, but before we do that let’s learn a little bit about the mosquito first.
Did you know that there are over 170 different species of mosquitoes just North America alone? That is quite a lot for just North America! According to Pest World, mosquitoes are best known as a pest of the summer that breeds very rapidly going from an egg to an adult in a matter of ten to fourteen days. Even though you may not be able to see it, but the mosquito has six legs, wings, antenna, and appear as a pale brown with a whitish strip across their abdomen. They are about 1⁄4” to 3/8” in size as well.
So, do mosquitoes bite you? Not necessarily according to Pest World. Mosquitoes do not bite and its usually the females who pester us as they feed on plant nectar and blood from animals or humans. When the female mosquito feeds on blood, their goal is the protein found in blood which is very important when it comes to reproduction. The female uses her proboscis, which is a tube-shaped organ used by many insects as they are feeding, to pierce our skin enough that they can obtain the blood they desire. The males, on the other hand, have a diet that consists only of the sweet nectar produce by flowering plants.
Commonly, you will see mosquitoes most active at night when the temperatures are cool. Pest World writes that mosquitoes will fly up to 14 miles at a time to get a meal consisting of blood and that they find their food by sensing body heat and carbon dioxide given off when we exhale. We all know that mosquitoes need either a soft/moist soil or standing water for them to breed. Many of us have a wading pool for our children or a birdbath around which provides the prime environment for the mosquito.
The Placer Mosquito & Vector Control District writes that mosquitoes will be found in areas of tall grass, weeds, or brush near many of our dwellings. Several other areas around our home can provide optimum habitat for mosquitoes such as a clogged rain gutter, neglected swimming pool, ornamental ponds, and just about anything that water stay in for more than a few days.
According to Michigan State Extension, mosquitoes will commonly be seen during the spring months when rainfall and standing water are a commonality. There are some mosquito species which require a large amount of water to breed or some that can simply have enough water or moisture in a storm drain or old tire. Climate Change can influence mosquitoes as we see earlier springs and longer summer allowing them to be around for longer periods of time and give them more of a chance to bring disease along with them as well as more time for us to be exposed to them.
So now that you know a little bit about the mosquito, how can we help to control this pest? The Placer Mosquito & Vector Control District offers a variety of tips to control mosquitoes around your home. The goal with any of these tips I mainly to get rid of anything that holds water and provides the prime environment for mosquitoes to breed. First is to properly get rid of any empty cans, buckets, flower pots, old tire, or trash cans which can all hold water for an extended period of time. Be sure to also clean out your gutters on a regular basis so water drains properly and to also change the water in your bird feeders on a regular basis, once a week at minimum is best.
Look at your swimming pool cover as well. Be sure to regularly drain the water off your pool cover and to even regularly clean any outdoor swimming pool or hot tub. It also is not a bad idea to utilize landscaping to limit the standing water that is present around your home.
How can you also avoid being bothered by mosquitoes? Be sure to inspect your screen doors to make sure there are no holes in them as well as limiting your outdoor time between sunset and sunrise during which mosquitoes are most likely to be found according to The Placer Mosquito & Vector Control District.
While mosquitoes are not something we all want to be bothered by, if you follow these simple tips on controlling them, you can enjoy the outdoors as much as possible!
