Know Your Enemy – Your Refresher Course For Mosquito Control In Great Falls, VA
What’s with mosquitoes? Why are they such a nuisance? What can you do to control them effectively in Fairfax County? Knowing your enemy puts you a step ahead as you look to protect your family from these annoying but deadly creatures.
Some have suggested that they aren’t as annoying as we perceive them to be. They give the reason that the presence of mosquitoes in forests makes them uninhabitable by humans. This results in the preservation of forests. That’s great, but you don’t want them in your home, do you?
You’ll get a better understanding of mosquitoes when you learn about their life cycle.
The Beginning Life Stage of a Mosquito
An adult female mosquito mates with a male once in her life time. She then stores the sperm for the duration of her life, which is up to 100 days. Within a single feeding, a female has the ability to lay up to 200 eggs or more every 7 days, according to How Mosquitoes Do It. Once this batch is within a container, it can survive without water up to 8 months. There are 2 life cycle stages a mosquito goes through once submerged in water: larva and pupa.
The Water Stages of a Mosquito
Mosquito eggs can easily be mistaken for black dirt stuck to the side of a container and overlooked. But once the eggs are submerged in water, the life cycle begins. The next life stage of a mosquito is the larva; they remain in this state for 5 days. After molting three times, the larva becomes a pupae. Mosquitoes are pupae for up to 4 days. It is within these few days that they develop into adult mosquitoes and emerge out of the pupal skin and to the surface. Read more at Mosquito Squad…
Water plays a critical part in the development of mosquitoes. This is why getting rid of any standing water can help to keep mosquitoes at bay.
You also need to be aware that we’re in the season when mosquitoes start to multiply. As such, it’s important to stay on high alert as the weather gets warmer and put the necessary measures in place.
When Does Mosquito Season Start?
Depending on the species, some mosquitoes hibernate during the winter and re-emerge when the weather begins to get warmer, while others hatch from previously laid eggs in the spring. The temperature plays a key factor in determining the actual start of the mosquito season. Generally, mosquito activity will begin when the temperature reaches the 50° F level. Mosquitoes thrive on hot weather. Thus, as the temperature begins to rise, the mosquito volume increases accordingly. The mosquito season reaches its peak during the hot summer months. Read more at Mosquito Magnet…
The differences in mosquito species makes the issue more complicated. However, you can always be sure that they are all likely to increase during warmer months.
Have you ever wondered why these little creatures cause humans so much trouble? What makes us so attractive to them?
What attracts mosquitoes to us?
The carbon dioxide we exhale, components of our perspiration, physical movement, and body warmth attract mosquitoes. Using their long antennae, palps (organs used for detecting scents) and eyes, female mosquitoes can find and pinpoint the location of a human, or other warm-blooded animal, in search of a blood meal.
Why do mosquitoes bite us?
Only female mosquitoes bite to take a blood meal, while male mosquitoes are nectar-feeders and pose no biting risk. Female mosquitoes bite humans and other animals as a requirement to produce a batch of eggs after mating.
Therefore, most species of mosquitoes can bite multiple times in the need to produce additional eggs. It’s during this feeding cycle that mosquitoes transmit disease organisms through their saliva into the host animal or human. Read more at Rentokil…
All the above factors, plus the fact that mosquitoes will always be around us, means you need to be proactive about keeping your home safe from them. If you live in Great Falls, VA, you can enhance your safety and that of your loved ones by getting in touch with Backyard Bug Patrol. We will ensure that your yard is properly treated, and every mosquito-breeding ground eliminated. Make us your regular mosquito control service provider and enjoy our 100% guarantee on services.