When Are Mosquitoes Most Active? - MosquitoNix®
The United States is home to over 175 mosquito species - a mere fraction of the more than 3,000 mosquito species on the planet. That's a lot of hungry bugs to that need to feed and only so many hours in the day for them to do it.
Instead of allowing you, your family and your friends to be an easy food source for mosquitoes, you can avoid their main feeding times. Here is everything you need to know about when mosquitoes are most active when they go away and why they come out at night, so everyone can stay bite free.
Why Are Mosquitoes Active at Night?
Most mosquito species in the U.S. have an increased activity from dusk to dawn, which means you're more likely to get bit if you step outside at that time. People who spend time or live near wooded areas, wetlands or shaded places with standing water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes, are at increased risk of bug bites. Also, a full moon can increase mosquito activity, possibly up to 500 percent, according to some studies.
The truth is that mosquitoes are not active at night intentionally, so much as these flying insects are avoiding the sun during the day. Direct sunlight can dehydrate these flying pests, and you can only imagine what dehydration can do to an insect with only weeks to live.
Do Mosquitoes Come Out During the Day?
For the most part, mosquitoes are not active during peak daylight hours. Much like mythical vampires, mosquitoes avoid sunlight hours and mostly seek life-sustaining blood when the daytime ends.
The best way for mosquitoes to stay out of direct sunlight is to stick to shady, humid spots. Damp wetlands, patches of forest and even your lush landscaping all provide a safe haven for mosquitoes to rest or sleep during the hottest and brightest times of the day.
Why Should You Care About Mosquito Activity?
With the recent increases in West Nile virus and Zika virus reports, knowing when mosquitoes are active can help keep you and your family safe from these and other illnesses. For thousands of years, mosquitoes have spread malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and other diseases. Some estimates suggest that mosquitoes have contributed to half of all human deaths throughout recorded history, thanks to the efficient way they infect people with malaria while they feed.
Do Mosquitoes Have a Season?
Rather than a specific season, mosquitoes pay attention to temperatures. Their breeding and feeding activities depend more on when the weather thaws or freezes than on what the calendar says. Mosquitoes love it when the temperature is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and look for a place to hide when it gets around 60 degrees. They will go hibernate once it gets 50 degrees or colder. If you live in a tropical weather area or places that see temps 50 degrees and above year-round, you will have mosquitoes knocking on your door - or in your backyard - all year.
When colder months arrive, some mosquito breeds die off while others hibernate. When temperatures are around 50 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, you may notice fewer mosquitoes come out, but those temps don't mean they are completely gone. Once temperatures consistently stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, hibernating adult mosquitoes begin to emerge and their winter eggs hatch.
When Does Mosquito Season End?
The U.S. experiences mosquito "booms" at different times in varying regions due to local temperatures and climate conditions. Some southern states get little to no break from mosquito activity, while New England and the Pacific Northwest may only see a shorter mosquito season from late spring to early autumn.
If you want to know a month by month time frame, it is usually April through October when mosquitoes are most active. Again, the temperature in your area will determine more closely the exact season, as some places can see mosquitoes March through September, and others like May through September. You could have a warm weekend in December that hits 50 degrees and mosquito notice activity. But except for winter, where most states see temps lower than 50 degrees, mosquitoes can remain active the rest of the year.
How Can You Avoid Mosquitoes at Night or During Skeeter Season?
Most people don't do anything about mosquitoes until itchy bug bites appear. If you wait until mosquito eggs hatch or when they emerge from hibernation, you're fighting a losing battle, rather than preventing the issue before it starts.
While the easiest way to avoid mosquitoes during their peak season is to stay inside, doing things like wearing proper clothing to cover the body and spraying yourself and animals with bug spray with DEET are good steps to reduce your bite tally.
Work with an experienced pest control company like MosquitoNix® to begin your prevention plan early. We can set up strategic misting systems around your property or schedule fogging services before events. Our experts can help eradicate mosquitoes from their hibernation and breeding grounds before they become a problem.
Contact your local MosquitoNix service team online or call us at (855) 808-2847 today to schedule a free consultation to stop mosquitoes before they become a nuisance.
Mosquito Activity FAQ
◾️ Do mosquitoes come out in the day?
Most mosquito species avoid direct daylight, so typically, they do not come out during the day.
◾️ Why do mosquitoes come out at dusk and night?
From sundown to sunrise, mosquitoes can venture out to feed and breed without exposure to sunlight, which can dehydrate or kill them.
◾️ What temperature do mosquitoes prefer?
In the United States, most mosquito species become active when temperatures hit 50 degrees Fahrenheit and above. They thrive when the temperature is around 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
◾️ Are mosquitoes ever active during the day?
Some mosquito species are active during the day, but most rest or sleep in damp areas with shelter from direct sunlight, like shaded wetlands, forests or other humid environments.
◾️ When do mosquitoes go away?
Everyone wants to know when mosquitoes go away for the year. But it's not that they go away, it's just they hibernate or hide when the temperatures are cold enough. But you will see mosquitoes seem to disappear around November in most states, possibly as early as October, depending on the average temperature.
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