We've (had) a harsh mosquito (Culicidae) year. Normally they already start to disappear around September but this year it's still getting even worse!
Which climate do I have to hope for?
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A university I used to study at, in a region infamous for its summer mosquitoes, had a sweater in which was printed 2 February 1999, -42°C, mosquito-free. If temperatures drop far enough below 0°C, you will have no more problems.– gerritCommented Sep 15, 2016 at 9:55
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1To save the imperials some time, -40°C and -40°F are the same. That's face-hurt, eyeballs-freeze cold.– ShemSegerCommented Sep 15, 2016 at 15:31
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@ShemSeger As a citizen of only one of the three imperial hold-outs, thanks for that. It makes a good trivia fact too! My face hurts and eyeballs freeze anywhere below about 50°F, 10°C, but most people make fun of me!– Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GLCommented Sep 15, 2016 at 19:49
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1@Sue, I was being literal, as in your tears turn into ice crystals and frost your eyelashes, then you have to peel the ice from you eyelashes every once and a while because your eyelids start to freeze together. And 40 below is severe frostbite cold. We're talking sharp stabbing pain at those temperatures, especially with a wind.– ShemSegerCommented Sep 15, 2016 at 20:04
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@ShemSeger I know, I was just being silly because I get cold earlier than most people. I didn't mean not to take you seriously - sorry about that.– Sue Saddest Farewell TGO GLCommented Sep 15, 2016 at 20:20
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1 Answer
Mosquitoes thrive in warm and humid climates. It's extremely important to not allow stagnant water near your home. This aids in the reproduction cycle for mosquitoes. If you like to keep bins of water outside to collect rain for your plants, don't do this as the still water is very enticing.
I sort of broke off on a tangent there. But back to the question. The climate you want is a very dry climate or very cold. Mosquitoes can't thrive in super dry climates. The reason being there is no area to lay their eggs. During stretches of very dry and hot climates mosquitoes will bite less. The female is the only one that bites, because the protein helps develop the eggs. But in dry weather being hard to find water to lay their eggs, their is no reason to feed on blood. So the biting is much less. But that doesn't mean you will find zero mosquitoes. From here:
Throughout the Southwest, mosquitoes breed and reproduce in ponding areas, moist foliage and damp rock exposures along mountain drainages; in wetlands, back waters, lake shallows and intermittent streams within the desert river basins; and in the playa lakes of open desert grass and brushlands. They congregate and multiply in the channels, laterals and open fields of irrigated farm land and in neglected fish ponds, bird baths, fountains, gutters, swimming and wading pools, and outdoor saunas and hot tubs of our desert cities and towns. They may even appear in the flotsam and jetsam of the human community, for instance, in discarded automobiles, tires, washing machines, refrigerators, buckets, pots and cans, where water from desert thunderstorms may be trapped for some days.
So although the SW is known for a dry climate, it is still possible for mosquitoes to thrive.
That leaves very cold climates. Below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, mosquitoes tend to stop biting. They are cold blooded, so the colder the climate, the less active they will be. Many mosquitoes die off in the fall, but have hibernating eggs. Others may go into hibernation before the first frost and emerge in the spring.
So to sum it all up, your best hope right now is for a cool down where the temp on avg hovers around 50F. As Sept wraps up you should see less and less mosquitoes as the avg temp drops further.
