Cold Control: Tampa Mosquitoe
I woke up early this morning to a surprise cold snap. I stepped outside, and while it wasn’t cold enough to see my own breath, it was pretty nice. Another thing I enjoyed was the lack of mosquitoes. But, by the time ten rolled around I was already in my shorts and a t-shirt and it got me to thinking. Does it ever get cold enough for Tampa mosquitoes to die off in any significant number? That’s what we’ll be discussing today.
Cold Control: Tampa Mosquitoes overview
Mosquitoes usually disappear when cold weather comes, but they don’t go away for good. They have several strategies for surviving cold weather.
Many species of mosquitoes die off when the weather turns cold, leaving only eggs that lie on the ground like seeds, waiting for warmth and spring rains to hatch and produce a new generation. Except in the warmest part of their range, these adult mosquitoes actually do only live in the summer and disappear in winter.
Other species survive cold weather by hibernating. Mosquitoes that belong to the genera Anopheles, Culex and Culiseta hibernate, and so do some other less common types in the United States.
Wondering if it’s cold enough to kill mosquitoes? When exactly does it become “too cold” for mosquitoes? The threshold temperature is 50 degrees. When temperature levels are above 50 degrees on a consistent basis, mosquitoes become active. Depending on the species of mosquito, this can mean either emerging from hibernation or resuming to hatch from their eggs.
Areas that encounter warmer temperatures in the fall and winter months, can experience mosquito activity throughout the year. As a result, Tampa mosquitoes rarely go into hibernation and will continue to seek out food. As you may have guessed, in Florida, mosquito activity can be close to year-round. In central Florida, for example, mosquito activity usually starts in late February and runs through November, sometimes even December. South Florida, which has an even warmer climate, may experience mosquitoes all throughout the year.
Common Tampa Mosquitoes
And of course, in the sunshine state, we have plenty of ships that come in from other parts of the world. This means that we have plenty of invasive species that have made themselves very comfortable in our tropical climate. We’ll go over some of them today:
AEDES AEGYPTI
The Aedes aegypti, also known as the yellow fever mosquito, transmits its namesake disease, as well as dengue and the Zika and Chikungunya viruses. These mosquitoes feed during the day and are located statewide.
AEDES ALBOPICTUS
The Aedes albopictus is sometimes known as an Asian tiger mosquito. This species also can transmit dengue and the Zika and Chikungunya viruses. Common hosts include people, dogs, rabbits, and other mammals. These mosquitoes also feed during the day and, like Aedes aegypti, can be found throughout Florida.
AEDES TRISERIATUS
The Aedes triseriatus can spread LaCrosse encephalitis, although mostly in the Midwest. This species feeds in the evening and early morning, but also all day long. This type of mosquito is also found across the state of Florida.
ANOPHELES ALBIMANUS
The Anopheles albumaus is a tree-hole breeding mosquito invasive in the United States and which can transmit malaria. Unfortunately, people are the most common host for this type of mosquito. These mosquitoes feed at night and are located in southern Florida, specifically in Dade, Lee, Collier, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties.
ANOPHELES BARBERI
This type of mosquito can also be a vector for malaria and also breeds in tree holes. Like Anopheles albimanus, people are the most common host for Anopheles barberi. These mosquitoes feed at night, and are mostly found throughout northern Florida, but also in a few southern counties, specifically, Palm Beach, Escambia, Hendry, Leon, Putnam, Duval, Alachua, Bay, Flagler and Jackson.
ANOPHELES CRUCIANS
If you get bitten by an Anopheles crucians, you could contract malaria. This species of mosquito feeds on both people and mammals, and can bite both day and night. Anopheles crucians are found across the state of Florida.
ANOPHELES GRABHAMII
Although the Anopheles grabhamii can spread malaria, this species of mosquito is unlikely to cause many problems in the United States. People are the most common host, and this species is located in the Florida Keys, but is relatively new and not yet established enough to have a distinct feeding time.
ANOPHELES PUNCTIPENNIS
The Anopheles punctipennis can help spread both malaria and dog heartworm. This species feeds primarily on people and animals and feeds at night. Although this mosquito is very widespread, it is not currently found across Florida.
What To Do about Tampa Mosquitoes?
Although it can be difficult to obtain constant protection from mosquitoes everywhere you go, you can do your part to protect yourself at home by obtaining mosquito protection from a professional pest control company. The first step of mosquito control is to eliminate the sources where mosquitoes may congregate—such as standing water or bushy vegetation. Basically, any place on your lawn that has plenty of standing water is going to be a breeding zone for mosquitoes.