Where Do Mosquitoes Go During the Winter?
As temperatures finally begin to cool off in New York City, mosquitoes are slowly starting to disappear too. You’ll probably still get a bite or two, but going outside is no longer as bad as it was earlier in the summer. The mosquitoes have seemed to simply disappear.
Mosquitoes are not dying off as temperatures drop. Instead, they overwinter. This is similar to animals like bears that go into hibernation. How mosquitoes overwinter depends on the species, and knowing more about the overwintering process can help you get a headstart on preparing for mosquito invasions next summer.
How Mosquitoes Overwinter
Mosquitoes thrive in temperatures around 80 degrees and slightly above. But as insects, they are cold blooded and cannot regulate their own body temperature. Temperatures around 60 degrees leave mosquitoes slow and lethargic. Once the temperatures get to 50 degrees, mosquitoes can no longer move.
There are two different ways that mosquitoes will overwinter:
- As Adults – When temperatures drop, female mosquitoes mate for a final time. They then move into old logs, uninhabited animal burrows, basements of homes, and other well sheltered areas to wait out the winter.
- As Eggs – The other type of mosquitoes lay their eggs in the water in the fall. Temperatures freeze, encasing the eggs or larvae in ice. They don’t grow, instead spending the winter in a state called diapause. The adult females die off after laying eggs.
Come spring, the hibernating adult mosquitoes will come out of their hiding places and bite to get a blood meal with the nutrients they need to lay their eggs. This happens as soon as the weather gets warm, even if we have an unusually warm day in February or March.
The larval mosquitoes begin to mature again once the water they live in warms, often in April and May. It takes about one week or so for them to reach adulthood and begin breeding and biting on their own. Because mosquitoes are hiding out waiting to strike in the spring, disappearing mosquitoes does not mean you can forget about mosquito prevention. Mosquitoes may be gone for now, but working with a mosquito control company in NYC before they come back will significantly reduce the numbers of mosquitoes you have to deal with next summer. Contact 24 Hour Pest Control today to get started with year round pest control.