What Temperature Kills Mosquitoes?
Mosquitoes are one of the greatest annoyances in the insect kingdom. If it wasn’t bad enough that they suck our blood and cause itchy and sometimes painful spots on our skin, they may also carry life-threatening diseases.
Since these flying blood suckers disappear during the winter, a lot of people ask us, at what temperature do mosquitoes die? It’s not quite as simple as that, so there are a few things we need to explain.
Does Cold Weather Kill Mosquitoes?
To put it simply, yes, cold weather can kill mosquitoes. Once temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, some mosquitoes stop being active and will eventually die. But what you may not realize is that many mosquitoes have adapted to living in cooler climates, which means that once temperatures rise again, those same mosquitoes might end up coming right back.
Do Mosquitoes Go into Hibernation?
When people think of the word hibernation, bears always seem to come to mind. But many creatures around the world go into some form of hibernation during the winter months. When temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, mosquitoes will often go into what’s called diapause, which is basically a form of suspended animation.
The real threat, though, are mosquito eggs. It’s been shown that mosquito eggs can survive for years until the right environmental conditions arrive. Then, the mosquito larvae inside will hatch.
What Happens When You Disrupt Hibernation?
Since mosquitoes are sedentary during hibernation, it’s possible that you could disrupt their suspended animation. If you disturb a mosquito and that mosquito isn’t able to enter back into its dormancy state within a few days, it will most likely die in less than three weeks.
What Can You Do When Mosquitoes Come Back?
After temperatures rise and the number of mosquitoes increases, homeowners get very concerned with the idea of being bitten at night. Here are some simple tactics you can use to keep them away:
Wear the Right Clothes
In order for mosquitoes to suck your blood, they need access to your skin. They typically won’t go for your face. Instead, most bites occur on a person’s arms, legs, back, torso, and chest.
Wearing pants and long-sleeve shirts can help protect you. If you live in an area with a high concentration of mosquitoes, you might also not want to sleep without a shirt or other garments at night.
Use Mosquito Repellent
There are many different types of mosquito repellents on the market that are usually quite effective. If you’re worried about being bitten, spraying your skin with repellent is a good way to avoid it. You can also use natural oils and herbs to repel mosquitoes. These include citronella, eucalyptus, cinnamon, peppermint, lemongrass, and several others.
Install an Outdoor Net
If you’re the kind of homeowner who tends to hang around outside or you like the idea of having friends over, then you may want to install an anti-mosquito net. These are relatively simple to put up and will keep mosquitoes and other insects at bay. If you don’t want a large net hanging up, then you should have plenty of fans and maybe even misters set up instead.
Contact a Pest Control Professional
There are times when the mosquito population gets absurdly out of control. This can result in homeowners and other household members receiving multiple bites every single day. At that point, you should really consider contacting a pest control professional. A pest control professional will use safer, natural solutions to get rid of mosquitoes and help keep them away in the future.
Contact ProHealth Pest Control for Mosquito Control
ProHealth Pest Control gets a lot of questions similar to, At what temperature do mosquitoes die?, and we’re always happy to answer them. If you have any specific questions or are in need of pest control services, reach out to us at (727) 472-9420 today.
