Tampa, FL | When Is Peak Mosquito Season
Tampa has some of the most beautiful ocean views, a stunning scenic pathway down the Hillsborough River, a good amount of historic sites and plenty of attractions like the Florida Aquarium-plenty for residents and visitors alike to take in the average 243 days a year it's nothing but sunshine and rainbows. But while you get ready to see what Busch Gardens is all about, mosquitoes are getting ready to attack any bit of your skin they find.
To keep the number of itching bites to a minimum, repel mosquitoes and other annoying insects out of your yard and protect your family and pets against the diseases these insects carry, learn about the peak mosquito season for the Tampa area, so you can be prepared against these pests.
What Makes a Peak Mosquito Season
- Temperatures around 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit
- Warm, high-humidity days
- Sunny, tropical locations
- Plenty of wet weather
Do you know what entices mosquitoes to be at their most annoying? Do you know why some places seem to have more mosquitoes per person than others? Any city can have a peak mosquito season with the right weather conditions.
While these conditions are usually met in the summer, depending on which part of the country you live in, spring and fall could also offer peak mosquito times. A city like Tampa, which has all the major mosquito-attracting factors for almost the entire year, may find some reprieve only for a few weeks.
What Conditions Mosquitoes Don't like
- They start to slow down around 60 degrees Fahrenheit
- Once it drops to 50 degrees out, they lose function
- 50 degrees or colder kills bugs off or puts them into hibernation
- They are not a fan of direct sunlight - think of a vampire
Once it drops to around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, mosquitoes will start to become lethargic. It might seem like it's easier for you to swat them before they bite you - and it is, because the cooler temps start to wear on them. But when temps gets to 50 degrees or colder, you notice you don't notice mosquitoes anymore. This is because when it gets that cold (or colder), the bugs and insects will either die off or go into hibernation, sleeping but still waiting for the temperature to get back up to at least 50 degrees so they come back to life.
These temperature facts are why many areas look forward to the fall and winter. These residents know those times of the year signal the end of mosquito season, when everyone can get outside to enjoy the fresh air without having to worry about bug bites.
Tampa's Peak Mosquito Season
- Mosquito season in Tampa is almost year-round
- Peak months are May through October
- High activity times of day are dusk and dawn
For a place like Tampa, mosquito season is pretty much all year long. Really. When you have over 240 days of sunshine in a year and plenty of wet weather, it's a recipe for mosquitoes to become permanent residents. But if you want to know the peak months when the mosquitoes will be at their absolute worst, May through October are the months to be extra vigilant in your mosquito repelling techniques. Why are these the months when Tampa sees an increase in mosquito activity? When rain is constant, and the temperature rests in the 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit range, it's like a tropical resort for mosquitoes and other flying insects to relax and stay a while.
Not only do residents of Tampa need to pull out all the stops when it comes to bug safety, but there are certain times of the day when bugs seem to take over. When the sun isn't at its strongest, such as dusk and dawn, the bugs and insects come out to play in full force.
How to Keep the Mosquitoes Away
- Wear bug spray with DEET when you go outside
- Wear long-sleeved clothing and cover the ankles and the neck
- Switch out your outdoor lightbulbs to yellow ones
- Dump standing water around your property
- Keep pet bowls inside when not in use
- Clear out the gutters regularly
- Cover pools and hot tubs when not being used
- Clean out the bird bath at least twice a week
- Keep stacks of materials like wood neat and orderly
- Don't keep stacks of material like wood too close to the house
- Don't set up the yard or play equipment near the edge of your property, especially if it backs up to wooded areas
- Keep your lawn mowed as short as possible and trim trees off your roof
You can take control of your outdoor space and home to deter the mosquitoes from wanting to be your new roommates. It doesn't take fancy, expensive equipment or even a lot of time to deter bugs from moving in on your outdoor space. A few minutes a day checking a couple of things and then maintaining everything else is all you need to do.
Two of the more important things are to keep your yard mowed as short as you can, consistently, and to dump standing water, especially after humid days or any wet weather. Even a few teaspoons of standing water is enough for mosquitoes and other insects to breed and lay eggs, and tall grass allows a whole lot of pests to hide in your yard.
Call in the Experts
In places like Tampa, where the mosquito season never ends, calling in a compassionate and knowledgeable pest control team like MosquitoNix is almost a must. Not only can you get a personalized plan for your outdoor space, but you will have the peace of mind of knowing your family and pets can go outside anytime they want and not come back in covered in bug bites.
Don't hide inside, and don't spend every second outside worrying if that last mosquito bite might come with a side of West Nile virus. Tampa residents and business owners can trust a local team like MosquitoNixhttps://mosquitonix.com/pages/contact-us to ensure everyone has a sunny vacation - whether you check out ZooTampa or your own backyard.
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