For northern areas mostly, the dawn of winter or cooler temperatures comes with the much needed relief from the unnerving activities of mosquitoes. However, by spring, as anticipated as the blooming of flowers, the buzz and itch-inducing bite of the mosquito comes back to torment you, turning your beautiful outdoor moment into a swat fest.
Even though mosquito numbers decrease significantly during the winter, these biting creatures still manage to survive the extreme temperatures. You must be wondering how these disease peddlers manage to achieve this feat. Well, continue to read further. All the important details about how mosquitoes manage to survive in cold seasons are discussed in this article.
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How Mosquitoes Survive in the Winter
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded, a trait that makes many assume that the dawn of winter would bring doom upon them. Sadly, this is far from the truth.
Mosquitoes ensure survival by virtue of two main techniques:
Laying Eggs
A few mosquitoes are known to utilize their ability to lay eggs as a form of future security. The adult females will lay her eggs in cold waters—bogs, ponds, wetlands, etc.—where the eggs are safe until the arrival of warmer temperatures, which facilitate the hatching process. While this doesn’t guarantee the survival of the adult mosquitoes that lay the eggs, it gives room for the repopulation of mosquitoes in times of warmer temperatures.
Hibernation
Mosquitoes thrive better in temperatures of around 80 degrees, and once the mercury drops down below 50 degrees many species hibernate for the winter. The adult females seek out holes in logs, animal dens, and even human habitats – like homes and cabins – where they will remain inactive in expectancy of more favorable weather conditions, emerging again when the temperatures reach 50 degrees.
Having survived for millions of years, mosquitoes have shown that they are equipped to thrive in the harshest conditions.
How to Prevent Hibernating Mosquito Eggs
Eliminating any possible hideouts for mosquitoes to lay eggs to prepare for the following spring is one way to reduce the number of springtime mosquitoes in your home or surroundings. This means doing all that’s required to remove standing water from your yard during periods of cold temperatures.
Utilize the strategies outlined below to get rid of mosquito habitats:
- Empty toys and kiddie pools by turning them over and placing them upside down to dry.
- Get rid of any standing water in flower pots.
- Repair leaking outdoor taps.Keep garbage containers tightly covered.Dispose or regularly check any items that could hold pooled water, such as canoes, boats, old tires, old tires, buckets or cans.
- Drain or change tarps for outdoor pools and firewood, as well as regularly check your barbecue cover for any pooled water.
- Clean gutters regularly to prevent standing water from gathering inside them.
Change the water in bird baths on a daily basis.
Remember that doing your part to prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your yard will, in turn, protect you from the infections that mosquitoes carry around. Also, you get to enjoy every minute of your sleep without having to put up with the noise created by these whiny creatures.
For more information and assistance with regards to keeping your home mosquito-proof, do well to contact pest control experts.
