Where Do Mosquitos Go in the Winter?

Where Do Mosquitos Go in the Winter?

Wintertime

Insects are ectothermic, which means they are unable to regulate their own bodily temperatures. Being ectothermic, these creepy crawlies are particularly susceptible to the cold, and winter can often be a fatal time of year for many types of insects. As such, pests have found different ways to not only cope but survive the inevitable cold each year. For mosquitos, their techniques can vary depending on the species of mosquito.

Hibernation

Some species of mosquitos, including the Anopheles, Culex, and Culiseta, are able to reach a powerful state of hibernation that allows them to survive through the frigid months. For these species, the females are the only ones who survive. They mate in the fall before finding a hibernation spot, such as inside an animal burrow or log, to remain in for the coming winter months. Once the weather beings to warm up in early spring, the females will emerge from their hibernation and seek out blood meals in order to produce eggs from their time mating back in autumn. These newly laid eggs will hatch to become the first new generation of mosquitos for the year.

Winter Eggs

Mosquitos are at peak function around about 80 degrees F, they become sluggish at 60 degrees F, and by 50 degrees F or lower, they lose the ability to function. Due to this, many species of mosquito cannot survive a winter hibernation and all their adults die off when the temperature dips. Their eggs, however, have a special resistance to the cold, making them “winter hardy.” Encapsulated in ice that formed from the water in which they were laid, the eggs enter a state of hibernation that allows the embryos to lie in wait for warmer weather. Once the temperatures increase again, the eggs hatch, carrying on the next generation of their species.

Winter Pest Control

Just because it’s cold outside, doesn’t mean pest problems have vanished. Mosquitos, along with all other pests, are just lying-in wait during the winter months. Pest control is a battle that needs to be fought in every season, and a good treatment in the winter will improve our ability to control mosquitos that emerge in the spring, keeping you and your family safe from their bites.

Citations

Blevins, M. and Hiskey, D. (2019) Where Do Insects Go in the Winter?, YouTube. Today I Found Out. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHc19HHERAo (Accessed: June 2020). Where do Mosquitoes go in the winter? (no date) Central Mass Mosquito Control Project. Available at: https://www.cmmcp.org/mosquito-information/faq/where-do-mosquitoes-go-winter (Accessed: July 30, 2021). Where do mosquitoes go in the winter? Winter mosquitoes (no date) PestWorld. Available at: https://www.pestworld.org/news-hub/pest-articles/where-do-mosquitoes-go-in-winter/ (Accessed: July 30, 2021).