Well, here we are again, ladies and gentlemen. It’s summer in Florida. Get ready for tourism, the beach, and sunshine. But that’s not all. Summer in Florida is daunting for a few reasons for residents. Not only are you dealing with the heat, the rain, and the hurricanes. But you also have to deal with Florida summer mosquitoes! That’s why today we’ll be discussing these flying, buzzing pests, and a few ways to control them. Not only that, but we’ll take a brief look into the diseases that these pests carry and some of their symptoms.
Florida Summer Mosquitoes: Overview
Year-round warm, tropical weather is a perk of living down here in the Southlands of Florida. But, anyone who’s been here for more than a short stay can tell you that it’s not all sunshine. We have a year-round mosquito season in Florida, and now that summers are warmer than before, I really do mean year-round. But in the heat of the middle months, it really explodes. And you can thank the moisture and the temperature for that. Because not only do things warm up around June and July, but they get really, really wet. This leads to a thriving and diverse population of mosquitoes from all over the world.
And it takes pretty cold weather to curb mosquito populations. January is normally the state’s coldest month but has been warming up in recent years thanks to climate change effects. Orlando’s low temperatures in 2017, for example, only dipped below fifty for a handful of days. The daily highs, on the other hand, reached into the 80s frequently. That means that mosquitoes only have to survive a week or less of cold weather in the state a year, and can breed freely through the winter. Basically, Florida summer mosquitoes may be worse, but they’re here all year round.
And on top of that, the state is full of water. And water is the most important factor in mosquito populations. Rainfall and aquatic areas don’t go away for those few days that Florida’s cold for, so they can breed all year round without any real issue. This goes for both the native species and the invasives brought here through the ports.
Invasives?
Florida is home to about eighty known species of mosquito. That’s going to rank us at the top of almost any list. Thirty-three of these species are actually known as disease vectors and are dangerous to humans and pets.
Two of the most common species in Florida are collectively known as the “Asian tiger mosquito” or simply the “tiger mosquito.” It’s called such due to its black-and-white striped body and legs. These two species are native to Southeast Asia but have spread to Florida thanks to our booming shipping industry. This species is known to carry many viruses that affect humans, including Dengue, Zika, and yellow fever.
And it doesn’t end there, these invasive actually make our native species more dangerous. A host that’s bitten by one of these invasive species to get the disease, and then is bitten by a native, has now created a new vector of the very disease. So by an order of magnitude, these new pests make the old ones even worse.
Common Mosquito Diseases
Now, these are why the Florida summer mosquitoes are so bad. I touched on it slightly above, but this pest is a massive vector for bloodborne illness. So, let’s go over a few of those here.
Malaria
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were two hundred and sixteen million cases in over ninety countries of this disease. Eighty-eight percent of the cases and ninety percent of the deaths come from Africa, though. So while this is a dangerous disease, if you live in the U.S. your chances of dying from it are much lower.
An infected person will typically start to develop symptoms ten to fifteen days after being bitten. The early signs, which include a headache, fever, and chills, can be mild and thus not immediately recognized as anything serious. As the disease progresses, though, it can affect tissues and organs like the blood, respiratory system, and brain.
Zika
I’m sure we all remember when Zika was all over the news a few years ago. But you may be surprised to know that we’ve known about it since 1947. Outbreaks of Zika have been reported in every continent now and were the talk of the town a few short years ago. It’s moments like those that make the real threat of Florida summer mosquitoes so clear.
Symptoms include fever, conjunctivitis (pink eye), headache, joint and muscle pain, rash, and malaise. The virus can also trigger neuropathy, myelitis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome, especially in adults and older children. The virus, however, is best known as a teratogen, for it can cause congenital disabilities like microcephaly, which is characterized by an abnormally small head and brain. It can also cause complications of pregnancy like premature birth, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
West Nile Virus
This disease comes from some of the most commonly found mosquitoes in the world. They pick up the disease from infected birds and then are able to transmit it easily to horses and humans.
While the virus causes no symptoms in about eighty percent of patients, the other twenty percent develop symptoms of a potentially fatal disease of the nervous system. Individuals with weakened immune systems or those over fifty are the most susceptible to the deadly neurological form. Such unfortunates start developing symptoms within three to fourteen days after being bitten, and those symptoms include high fever, stiffened neck, headache, disorientation, tremors, muscle weakness, convulsions, stupor, coma, and paralysis. There is so far no human vaccine.
What to do?
Obviously, get rid of standing water and do the few things that the layman can do. Just generally, keep your yard clean, tidy, and get rid of standing water. But if you have an infestation, consider contacting us about our mosquito smack service by clicking the link and get a consultation today to see how we can help you.
