Mosquitoes are silent until they fly by your ear and emit their unique hum. From their point of view this is a shame as, without the hum of their wings, you wouldn’t even know they were there. Naturally, it helps you slap the mosquito and kill it. Or, the wind movement of your hand can simply blow the mosquito away, they are not good flyers.
There are an abundance of mosquitoes around and then, the temperature drops and they vanish. That can be a relief as their bites itch and they are known to carry disease. Of course, if you have a problem with multiple mosquitoes at any time of the year it is advisable to check here and find the details of your local pest control experts. They can help you deal with the issue.
It would be nice to assume that the mosquitoes simply die in winter. They have short life spans and are not comfortable in cold surroundings. However, if that was the case mosquitoes wouldn’t have survived for millions of years!
Only the Females Survive
In fact, male mosquitoes do die. They have a very short lifespan of just a few days, and the only role they have during that lifespan is to mate with as many females as possible. Having done that they die, regardless of what temperature it is.
The females are the ones that suck your blood and then lay eggs in stagnant water. These hatch and restart the cycle.
How They Survive
Female mosquitoes have the ability to slow their metabolism. This decreases their demand for food and allows them to stay alive for months if necessary. They are simply dormant.
Interestingly, the same is true for the mosquito eggs and very young mosquitoes that are still water-bound.
This approach is not unique to mosquitoes and definitely helps them to survive.
Where they Hide
Mosquitoes die in cold conditions. That means they need to find somewhere sheltered to settle before the temperature drops. They will look for damp places as the moisture helps to keep them alive. Places such as under a pile of leaves or even a compost pile are perfect.
As soon as the weather starts to warm the mosquitoes will emerge and instantly look for a human to feed on. They are usually hungry and that’s why the first mosquitoes of the years generally seem to be the most vicious.
As soon as they have fed they will lay more eggs to ensure the survival of the mosquito species.
You should note that while mosquitoes are annoying and carry the risk of disease, they are an essential part of the food process. Eradicating them completely is not advisable
Final Thoughts
There are more than 3,000 types of mosquitoes and they don’t all hide in cold weather. These bugs are surprisingly hardy and some of the species simply survive the cold by laying eggs that have a special layer to protect the baby mosquito from the cold. The adult dies and the baby emerges when the weather warms.