Mosquitoes are not only noisy and eager to bite humans but they are also life-threatening, considering the many viruses and diseases they carry and transmit, and they may be active at night as well as during the day depending on their type. There are various ways to avoid and repel mosquitoes, though, and they include the use of mosquito traps, nets, and tablets.
Whether they are nocturnal or diurnal, mosquitoes are noisy and dangerous. They will make sure silence is history when they are around and they won’t hold back from biting humans and thus from feeding.
What’s even worse is that they carry viruses and diseases that will affect humans and cause symptoms that range from light to severe. Some of the viral infections caused by a mosquito bite can lead to complications that may be even fatal.
Enough reasons to take the necessary measures to make sure you won’t encounter them. To do that, it is best to know more about the mosquito types living in your area, the time of the day when they are active, and the things you can do and products you can use to repel them. Find such information in today’s post.
Are mosquitoes nocturnal or diurnal?
It depends on the type of mosquitoes we’re talking about. Even if there are 176 mosquito types in the U.S., most of them are active at night, dawn, or dusk. If you’ve ever strolled in wooded areas where there is also water, you’ve most probably noticed lots of buzzing mosquitoes.
And still, there are mosquitoes that are active during the day. Culex pipiens and Aedes aegypti are the most common mosquito species in the U.S. The first one is known as the house mosquito while the latter is generally referred to as the Asian Tiger mosquito.
The common house mosquito usually bites when it gets dark – in the first few hours of the night or during the evening. The Asian Tiger mosquito, though, bites during the day and is active in the morning and late afternoon.
However, the mosquito species that are active during the day are just a few and most types of mosquitoes won’t be active when the sun is up and the heat is at its peak. If they do enter a building where they are protected against dehydration and light, they might prolong their activity time and fly longer than they normally do.
Given that most mosquito species are nocturnal, it is very important to be careful when it gets dark. Since they hide during the day because sun exposure and heat dehydrate and even kill them, they are most active early in the evening when they get out of the places where they’ve been hiding all day.
They may start early in the evening and end their activity early in the morning. It doesn’t take many mosquitoes to ruin a night as you most probably know. If one of them finds a way to get inside your house, it is highly likely for it to bite you repeatedly if there aren’t too many targets. After a night of flying and biting, they will hide again until dawn.
Mosquito season
We often tend to associate mosquito presence and activity with summer yet it’s all about the temperature outside when it comes to what makes them emerge. When the temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they begin to disappear or to retreat since there are mosquito species that survive winter by living in environments that protect them from the cold such as caves and cellars.
While some mosquito species die once winter comes, others hibernate or incubate as eggs. Those that hibernate end their hibernation when the temperature reaches 50 degrees Fahrenheit on a constant basis. This is the temperature that makes eggs hatch as well. Therefore, once days get warmer, mosquitoes become active.
Sometimes, mosquitoes may reappear even after the cold days have settled in. Many mosquito species die off when the temperature drops but it’s enough to have a few warmer days for those that hibernate to re-emerge in order to seek out food. You can thus notice some late-season mosquito activity as well.
Areas where mosquitoes are active
The mosquito activity you get to notice differs from one country to another. As we’ve said before, it is directly related to the temperature in an area. For example, in some countries, they start to emerge in February or March whereas, in other areas, they won’t be active until June or even later. Not to mention that mosquitoes can be active year-round in warmer areas.
In Texas, where there are 85 mosquito species, these insects become active early and can be seen flying seeking out food as early as February. That’s because the climate is very warm. The same happens in Florida where the climate is not only warm but also moist, the perfect mix that makes mosquitoes thrive even all year round.
The northern part of the United States has a shorter mosquito season as the insects emerge in April. In Alaska, they might not appear until June or so and they are usually active for a short time.
Now, the mosquito population may be even greater if, besides the warm temperature, there are other favorable environmental elements such as moisture. Ponds, bogs, ditches, and other such areas are a haven for mosquitoes. Therefore, try to avoid them as much as possible during the mosquito season in your area.
Mosquitoes and health risks
The thing with mosquitoes is that they are not only noisy but they are dangerous as well since they can carry and transmit various viruses and diseases. Malaria, the Zika virus, yellow fever, dengue fever, the Chikungunya virus, and the West Nile virus are a part of them.
While some of these health conditions involve only mild symptoms that can be treated with rest and lots of fluids, others may lead to complications and some of them can even be fatal. A mosquito bite might seem harmless and be so indeed but it might also put your health in jeopardy. That’s why avoiding mosquitoes as much as possible is a matter of personal safety.
What to do to avoid them
In order not to reach that point where your health suffers, it is best to take precautionary measures before the mosquito season begins as well as during mosquito activity. The market is quite generous when it comes to mosquito repellent products and you can stock up on your needs before mosquitoes even start to emerge.
By using mosquito traps and repellents from the very beginning of the mosquito season, you can keep their population low. Make sure you use door and window screens that will prevent them from getting indoors. Check them to see if there is any damage and fix them if necessary.
By having them installed before mosquitoes appear, you will protect your home in case the weather gets warm suddenly and mosquitoes emerge. Once the mosquito season starts and they appear in high numbers, you can boost your protection by using mosquito repellents such as foggers, sprays, or tablets.
The great thing about foggers is that they will help you treat even hard-to-reach areas whereas tablets that are used with electric devices create vapors that repel mosquitoes so you can carry out your various tasks without being disturbed.
If your activities involve outdoors and you want to protect yourself against mosquitoes, you can always opt for a spray that you can apply directly to your skin. Just make sure that you reapply it in case it washes off. Such products are ideal if you want to camp, for example. Mosquito repellent nets are also a great option for the time you spend outdoors.
Taking precautionary measures is also of great importance when traveling to an area where mosquitoes are a problem. It might be even better and definitely safer to visit such places during the cold months.
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