WHAT ARE MOSQUITOES UP TO DURING WINTER SEASON?

Many people often dread the final days of the transition period and fear the first frigid days of winter, but, we believe everyone off late prefer winter season more than summer and rainy as it lets them bid adieu to mosquitoes and the imminent threat posed by the Zika virus.

Unfortunately, we live under the misconception that mosquitoes simply give up on their life upon the arrival of winter. Read the below article to know more about seasonal mosquito activity and how you can keep future mosquito problems at bay.

Mosquito Lifecycle

As unbelievable as it might sound, mosquitoes don’t just die off as soon as winter is switched on. How a mosquito survives the winter can differ from one species to the other. For instance, the mosquito responsible for transmitting Zika virus, Aedes aegypti, spends the entire winter staying in the egg stage. As temperatures drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, adult females begin to deposit their final batch of eggs into water-logged items containing as less as half an inch of water. The adults end up dying, as the newly deposited eggs enter a diapause stage, a process that temporarily stops their development during the coldest months.

And, when temperature start to rise and, the eggs start re-submerging and hatch giving birth to the next generation of menacing Aedes mosquitoes that obviously seek out humans as their food source. And as scary as it might sound, these offspring could be infected with Zika, which is passed on by the adult female mosquito.

How to prevent mosquito bite

Irrespective of where you live, it is important to exercise caution while staying outdoors this winter. The most effective way to do it is by carrying over all the mosquito safe habits that you learnt in the summer season. Read below to understand what you can do:

• Check your property to confirm if there are water-holding items that is housing eggs that the mosquitos deposited during summer season. The items you should consider is flowerpots, birdbaths, grill covers, tire swings and all other objects where water accumulates.
• Homeowners should also take efforts to unclog gutters, take care of leaky pipes or faucets outside their house, makes holes at the bottom of tire swings so that the water can drain away, and also make sure that the trash cans are tightly shut and lids aren’t flipped upside down.
• Make use of insect repellent products to protect you and your loved ones. You can select from a wide variety of products offered by Mortein. They are specialized in dealing with mosquitoes. Ensure that you use all the products after reading the instructions on the label.