Drought-like conditions result in less mosquitoes, but is it enough to depend on Mother nature for mosquito control?

The Good News Is That Mosquitoes May Take A Brief Respite From Biting Us Until The Rain Starts Again

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.  Speaking of heat, the National Integrated Drought Information System reports that atmospheric precipitation conditions for the next 60 days indicate “Exceptional Drought” in Middlesex County.

As We Move Into Cooler Weather, The Likelihood Of Rain And Outdoor Moisture Increases

Interestingly enough, it’s not the falling rain that is the problem. It’s what happens after rainfall, when our backyards and landscape are soaked with still, residual water from the rain. A critical part of the mosquito life cycle is to lay rafts of eggs on stagnant water. Eggs hatch into larvae which are air breathers – using a snorkel like spicule at the surface. The larvae expend energy piercing the water surface tension. Water movement does not allow this and they drown.

After the female mosquito lays her eggs in the still water areas, they take a few days to hatch. The larvae then spend a few days growing and when full grown, they form a pupa and spend a few more days turning into an adult – this is all done while floating on the surface of the water.

This process takes around a month –  a bit faster for some species and a bit slower for others. If the eggs are laid in running water, in that month the eggs/larvae/pupae will have traveled very many miles downstream and very likely into the sea. In order for the adult mosquitoes to end up in the same place as their parents, it is necessary for the water to not run down into the sea, so the mosquitoes choose stagnant water.

Also read: Tips for Planning a Springtime Outdoor Event

 

Don’t Wait For A Drought To Deter Mosquitoes – Stop Them In Their Tracks With A Subscription To Effective Templeton Mosquito Control

Your Templeton mosquito control experts inspect each yard for the areas most likely to harbor mosquitoes, and concentrate their knock-down elimination barriers there, killing the vast majority of mosquitoes – and ticks on contact. Then, they use a barrier around the yard to keep new mosquitoes from getting in. That proven and dependable method results in residual effects that last for weeks, keeping your yard safe and clear of mosquitoes.

Also read: Is West Nile virus in MA in 2022?