Central Mass Mosquito Control | Mosquito Protection

Author Archive: T Warner

3 Great Reasons to Give Mosquito Control for Christmas

Like every year, in some ways it’s hard to believe that 2020 is nearly over.  Holiday shopping is in full swing.  It’s a great year to give the gift of mosquito control. It might be difficult to imagine the utter nuisances that are mosquitoes, now that the weather has cooled.  When you think of giving the gift of mosquito control, consider it an investment into your loved one’s future health and happiness.  We plan ahead for vacations this time of year, and anticipate home improvement projects in the springtime.  Why not consider mosquito control too?  Here are three great reasons to give mosquito control for Christmas this year.

Science is abuzz with new mosquito identification app!

These days, there is an app for everything.  In times past, you might have photographed a mosquito to identify it.  Scientists are readying a new identification app, which doesn’t require you phone camera.  It uses your phone’s microphone. Ingenuity has delivered a crowd-sourced method of mosquito identification, which can help determine the type of mosquitoes that are in your backyard.  Over the years, mosquito studies have proved costly and time-consuming.  Scientists usually trap and study mosquito species.  A phone app is about to be released, which will allow us to help identify the types of mosquitoes we have flying around your home, by sound.

Mosquito Taste Buds: The key to reducing mosquito-borne illnesses?

A new study on the Aedes aegypti could hold the key to reducing mosquito-borne illnesses.  Mosquitoes have taste buds.  Who knew? The Aedes aegypti is a nasty blood-sucker.  Known as the yellow fever mosquito, this thirsty aerial invader is also responsible for the spread of dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus.  Scientists have found that mosquitoes have taste buds, making the female mosquito able to differentiate between salty and sweet.  What does human blood taste like?  We are sweet and savory to the Aedes aegypti, which makes us much different from nectar.  Human blood to mosquitoes, could be likened to a salt-rimmed margarita or a salted caramel cappuccino.

Where do mosquitoes go in the winter?

Do mosquitoes migrate when the weather begins to cool?  Do they die?  Where do mosquitoes go in the winter? The life cycle of a mosquito depends on the species, sex, and even the environment.  For instance, male mosquitoes tend to have a shorter lifespan than females.  Male mosquitoes usually mate once and die.  Their lifespan is an average of one week.  The female mosquito usually lives through three breeding cycles.  They can lay eggs about every third day of their life.  Depending on their mating schedule, female mosquitoes can live a couple of weeks or even a month.  One study found that the West Nile mosquito species, Culex, survived longer in mild summer temperatures.  Extreme temperatures saw shorter lifespans for both male and female Culex mosquitoes.  What about wintertime temperatures?

Mosquito-Borne Illnesses in 2020

Summer is coming to a close.  The most active mosquito season is also nearing its end.  What has 2020 looked like for mosquito-borne illnesses? There has been such focus on COVID-19 in 2020, mosquito-born illnesses might not have been at the front of your mind.  Even so, they remain a great threat to our health.  We have seen Eastern equine encephalitis make an appearance again in 2020.  As of September 9, the CDC reports there have been five confirmed cases of EEE in the United States.  Three of those cases were in Massachusetts. 

Is malaria still a threat?

Malaria is a potentially fatal mosquito-borne illness with a long history.  The parasites responsible for malaria infection were first identified around 1880.  Since then, mosquitoes carrying these parasites have been found preserved in amber, believed to be 30,000,000 years old.  Is malaria still a threat? Even though malaria was eliminated in the United States in the early 1950’s, it remains a threat in other parts of the world today.  There were more than 400,000 known malaria deaths throughout the world in 2018.  More than 90% of malaria deaths occurred in sub-Saharan Africa.

Do all mosquitoes bite humans?

Mosquitoes!  We go to war with these tiny blood suckers every warm season.  Are all those annoying mosquitoes only females, or do all mosquitoes bite humans? Male mosquitoes do not bite humans or animals. They feed on nectar alone.  If a male mosquito is close to you, it will simply be annoying. That said, male mosquitoes typically avoid contact with humans. They don’t need us after all.  If you are experiencing swarms of mosquitoes, they are likely all female.

New EPA Registered Mosquito Repellent Smells Like Grapefruit

For the last few years, scientists have been trying to come up with new ways to eliminate dangerous, disease-carrying mosquitoes.  Genetically modified mosquitoes have been released in some areas, because mosquitoes are developing a natural resistance to some repellents and insecticides. Enter the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent approval of nootkatone, a brand new mosquito repellent and destroyer.  The EPA-registered seal of approval means that the new ingredient has been deemed safe for humans and pets, and can now be used to formulate insecticides and repellents.  Nootkatone is gaining recognition for its effectiveness as a mosquito repellent, and because it smells like grapefruit.