What Do Mosquitoes Do In the Fall

Mosquitoes are cold blooded creatures that generally do not bite in temperatures below 50 degrees. As winter nears mosquitos often enter into hibernation prior to the first frost. Mosquitoes may also die in the fall but have winter hardy eggs where the embryos hibernate.

Mosquitos have been here according to fossil evidence for 46 million years. The ice age was only 2.5 million years ago so we can easily see that the mosquito is very resilient.

It stands to reason that a few months of winter hardly phases a cold-blooded mosquito. So, what happens to the mosquito during the winter?

The lifespan of a male mosquito is up to 10 days, and then it dies after mating. The males never make it past the fall. The female mosquitoes spend the colder months inactive in protected places, such as hollow logs or animal burrows. It is fair to say the mosquito enters a period of dormancy, similar to a bear or squirrel hibernating for the winter. She can hibernate for up to six months.

Mosquitoes can be as active in the fall as they are in the summer. They are cold blooded and hibernate or die off. Temperatures are consistently below 50 degrees will stop the mosquitoes activity. Early fall months that are simply a bit cooler has the tiny biters at home allowing them to keep on pestering. Individuals often notice the bite of the mosquitoes more during the day time than the cooler eventing.

Mosquitoes will continue to breed through late summer and early fall. Summer months see more breeding time but the early fall months still see an opportunity to make more. Fall months of the mosquito are filled with preparation of winter. Some breeds may totally die off and others will simply hibernate til warmer months. Still other species lay winter hardy eggs that can survive the cold and hatch in warmer temperatures or some female mosquitoes will mate fatten up and hibernate

Autumn is a great time of year to remove nearby mosquito breeding grounds. Reducing the amount of water in your yard is also something that you should do.

• Removing standing water in flower pots, bird baths, tires and any small containers that are the size of a bottle cap or larger
• clean your gutters and fix leaky pipes and faucets outside
• remove piles of leaves to help get rid of mosquito homes and breeding area, Leaves hold moisture and may prevent proper drainage in your yard leading to standing water 

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