Man, what a weird time in the world. Here I am, sitting down and getting ready to write a few more articles. It feels almost wrong to carry on as usual with a global pandemic gripping the world and the coronavirus around every corner. But, life must go on. That’s why today, your favorite Brandon pest control company is going to discuss a few springtime annoyances. We’ll be looking at the worst Brandon parasites.
Brandon Parasites: The Mosquito
Really, it’s obvious that this is what we should start with, isn’t it? The age-old enemy of Floridians everywhere. The mosquito. Buzzing, flying menaces from all corners of the globe converge here for just a single taste of our blood. And not just one kind, either. And we’ve covered most of the Florida species quite a few times on this site, but today we have a real “treat”. We’re going to talk about the enormous species of mosquito known as the gallinippers (a.k.a. Psorophora ciliata). They’ve been spotted in Florida for a few years now, but it’s still a shock to see them in person. They’re about twenty times larger than just about every other species of common mosquito.
The gallinippers can grow to have bodies the size of a quarter. They measure close to half an inch long (or even longer) as adults. They’re also aggressive biters, and prefer human blood over animals. Like other species, the male is a harmless flower feeder. Meanwhile, the females require the blood meal to develop and lay their eggs. Unlike most species, they have rather painful bites – likely due to their large size.
What may shock you is that the mosquitoes are native to the eastern U.S., but the increase of hurricane frequency over the past few years is what’s made their population boom. They’re floodwater mosquitoes, and their eggs can survive and remain dormant for years before hatching when the conditions are right. They first got noticed en masse when Tropical Storm Debby tore through Florida and enabled the mosquito to hatch in very high numbers.
Gallinipper Mosquito Identification and Behavior
- These mosquitoes are much larger than their common counterparts. While rumors may have you thinking “giant,” these mosquitoes are about a half-inch long, relatively large for a mosquito!
- Their large size will probably give them away, but they are black in color with yellow or white bands on thorax and proboscis (elongated biting mouthpart).
- Gallinipper bites are a bit more intense because of their larger size. Besides the more painful bite, it won’t affect you any differently than a normal mosquito bite.
- They tend to feed and be active at all times throughout the day rather than the predictable dawn and dusk.
- Gallinippers tend to swarm, with multiple mosquitoes feeding on a host at once, which can be frightening.
Brandon Pests: Gallinipper development
The pupae of Psorophora ciliata are very difficult to distinguish from other mosquito pupae and rarely are used for mosquito identification, but the size alone should be an indication of species potential. The pupae of Toxorhynchites species and Psorophora howardii, also relatively large mosquitoes that could be mistaken for Psorophora ciliata.
Like other mosquitoes, gallnipper larvae develop in water. But while most mosquito larvae scavenge on decaying plants and other floating organic matter, the gallnipper larvae actively hunt other organisms, including the larvae of other mosquito species. Some people have suggested we use the hungry, predaceous gallnipper larvae to control the other mosquitoes. Bad idea! Those well-fed gallnipper larvae will soon become gallnipper adults, looking for blood. We would essentially convert our mosquito biomass from smaller, less aggressive mosquitoes into larger, more persistent mosquitoes.
Brandon Parasites: Do Gallinippers Transmit Disease?
There’s some good news regarding this massive pain in the arm, or neck, or wherever it bites you, though. This species of mosquito isn’t known to transmit any disease of concern to human beings.
Though specimens have tested positive for a number of viruses, including several that can infect horses, no definitive evidence has linked the bite of a gallnipper to the presence of these viral diseases in people or horses thus far.
The term “gallinipper” isn’t recognized by most entomologists, but over the past century, the word, and the insect, entered the popular legend through Southern folktales, minstrel shows, and blues songs, according to a report from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.
The earliest description of the pest comes from 1897 by a writer who called the insect “the shyest, slyest, meanest and most venomous of them all.” (Gallinipper bites don’t actually contain any venom, they just feel that painful.)
Will insect repellents help to protect people from the dreaded gallinipper? Maybe, Kaufman said, though the pests may be more resistant to bug repellents, even those containing DEET, because of their large size.
If there’s a silver lining to a possible invasion of gallinippers, it’s the fact that their larvae are so ravenous they eat the larvae of other insects, including mosquitoes, thus reducing the populations of those pests. And they’re not known to carry any diseases, though that may be small comfort to beleaguered Floridians.
Brandon Parasites: What Can You Do?
When it comes to this buzzing, biting Brandon parasite, there’s not much that you CAN do as a layman. If you think that this mosquito is a potential infestation threat to your home, you need to contact a professional. One that uses natural methods instead of chemical, as chemical pesticides have long been proven to be a danger to yourself and the environment.
Mosquito Smack
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