Do we have cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts this year? We do have a few cases of West Nile virus in Massachusetts in 2022. As of October 4, 2022, the CDC reports that Massachusetts has had five confirmed cases and no deaths this year. This is half the number of confirmed cases in Massachusetts for 2021.
Could your eyes have deceived you? Are mosquitoes on the decline? For years, we have known that worldwide climate change has contributed to more ticks and mosquitoes. There have been catastrophic floods in the southern U.S. and West Coast areas…
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You have seen them, we have all seen them. Intriguing as they might be, should we trust them? Mosquito control devices tout their ability to effectively repel or kill mosquitoes. You might have been encouraged to purchase one from online…
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Universal donors, type O-negative, could be on mosquitoes’ menus. There are positives to having type O-negative blood. Though you can only receive O-negative blood, you can donate to anyone. Ask the American Red Cross, and they’ll tell you. Your blood type is in high demand. But can this blood type make you a tastier treat to mosquitoes?
As part of nature’s plan, all wildlife has ways of protecting themselves and their territory. Insects, such as mosquitoes, bees, ants, fleas, flies, wasps, and arachnids, may bite or sting if you get close. Most won’t bother you if you don’t bother them. But not all. Mosquitoes will bite you because that’s part of their grand plan. They need blood meals to reproduce.
Drought-like conditions result in less mosquitoes, but is it enough to depend on Mother nature for mosquito control? If you’ve heard it from me once, you’ve heard it many times. Mosquitoes love water. They need it – desperately. It is the catalyst for laying their eggs and increasing their population. These insects thrive in wet, hot climates, and are most likely to bite us in the early morning hours and early to late evening when the sun is not as intense.
Central Mass residents are no strangers to droves of mosquitoes. Perhaps you have noticed that you do not encounter as many when visiting friends or family outside your neighborhood. Maybe that has clued you in on the mosquito problem at your own home. If you thought that mosquitoes were just running rampant everywhere in Central Mass, you might now be wondering how there can be so many mosquitoes around your neighborhood alone. Here are a few reasons you could be seeing more mosquitoes this year.
West Nile virus was confirmed for the first time this year in Massachusetts on July 14, 2022. Mosquito samples are collected throughout Massachusetts for disease testing. On July 14, a sample taken from Easton MA was found to have carriers of West Nile virus. Should Massachusetts residents be concerned with this recent finding?
Ever wonder how tiny mosquitoes make that baby buzz saw noise when they swarm around your head? Crickets rub together parts of their wing anatomy. Grasshoppers rub their legs together to produce sound. Mosquitoes buzz with the rapid flapping of their wings – with movement of about 350 to 700 flaps per second.
Mosquitoes can’t take the heat. So, when are you more likely to get mosquito bites? Female mosquitoes are most active and most likely to bite us during early morning hours before the sun has fully come up and the air temperature isn’t as hot. Mosquitoes find daylight to be deadly, as direct daylight can dehydrate them. Burn, baby, burn!