Control by Predators: What Animals Eat Ticks?

What Animals Eat Ticks?

Not only is summer the best time to be doing outdoor activities, it is also high season for ticks. These small insects are notorious for their bites and ability to transmit diseases. One of the ways, outside of tick control services, to get rid of ticks is through having natural predators of ticks on your property.

Learn what animals eat ticks and how to prevent infestations to keep your home and family safe and tick-free.

What Eats Ticks?

There are a variety of animals that are natural predators for ticks. Having these animals on your property can help to naturally prevent tick infestations in your yard.

These animals all eat ticks:

  • Frogs
  • Lizards
  • Chickens
  • Squirrels
  • Opossums
  • Guineafowl
  • Wild turkeys
  • Ants and fire ants

Do Opossums Eat Ticks?

Yes, opossums are one of the top predators for ticks and kill more than 90 percent of the ticks they encounter. Not only are opossums really good at removing ticks, they can also eat up to 5,000 ticks per season. So, the next time you find an opossum in your yard, know that it is doing a very important job in keeping your yard safe and free of ticks.

How to Prevent Tick Infestations

Unfortunately, housing these animals on your property probably isn’t realistic, and we can’t choose what animals decide to call our yard home.

Here are some alternate ways to keep ticks away from your property:

  • Keep your grass short
  • Clean up lawn clippings
  • Create a barrier of mulch around your yard
  • Weed and trim any tall weeds or plants
  • Use professional pest control services, like Mosquito Joe, to protect your yard

How to Avoid Tick Bites

Anyone who lives in an area with ticks is likely open to anything that would decrease the chaprofessnces of a tick bite.

Here are a few ways to prevent tick bites:

  • Wear long sleeves and pants when walking in wooded or grassy areas
  • Tuck your pants into your socks
  • Wash clothing immediately after coming inside
  • Inspect kids and pets for ticks (time for a tick check!), then have another adult inspect you for ticks
  • Use a bug spray with DEET
  • Avoid tick-infested areas

Find Pest Control Services Near Me

You take the first step toward eliminating pests from your yard when you choose the dedicated experts at your local Mosquito Joe. Our team is ready to support you with everything from tick control to special event sprays. Call us at 1-855-275-2563 or find a Mosquito Joe near you to get started today.

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When Are Mosquitoes Most Active?

 

Mosquitoes can certainly put a damper on outdoor enjoyment. The bloodsucking little biters love to crash picnics and backyard barbecues, replacing fun with discomfort. In order to protect yourself and your family from itchy bumps and bites, it’s important to find the answers to some pressing questions.

When are mosquitoes the worst? When are mosquitoes the least active? Are mosquitoes nocturnal? What time of day are the bugs most active? At Mosquito Joe®, we have the answers you need to protect yourself and your family from these pests.

When Is Mosquito Season?

Woman hiker spraying bug spray while walking down trail

When are mosquitoes the worst? Pretty much any time when they’re actively hunting and biting people, right?

Mosquitos are most active when the weather is warm. In regions where some months are too cold for mosquitoes to survive, the arrival of temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit generally marks the beginning of mosquito season. That’s when mosquitoes are the worst. When temperatures dip lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the season is coming to a close as mosquitoes migrate, die, or hibernate.

Different species of mosquitoes have different life cycles and habitats. In some locations, where a change in temperature follows from winter into spring, some mosquito species will emerge from hibernation while others are born from eggs that had been laid the previous year. In regions where there isn’t a drastic change in temperature, mosquitoes are around all year round.

Did you know that female mosquitoes are responsible for all of the bites that humans experience? They need blood in order to lay their eggs.

All mosquitoes need water to breed and lay eggs. Female mosquitoes will lay their eggs in anything that has standing water: ponds, planters, birdbaths, and even rain gutters. Because mosquitoes usually only travel a few hundred feet from their breeding sites, keeping these areas clear and dry will help to reduce the population in your yard.

What Time of Day Are Mosquitoes Most Active?

Gardener scratching a mosquito bite while watering flowers outside

So, regarding the time of day, when are mosquitoes the worst? They’re most active during the early morning hours before the sun has fully come up and around sunset when it cools down a bit. Mosquitoes find direct daylight to be deadly, as it can dehydrate them. So, even though they thrive during the warm summer months, they hide when it gets too hot in the middle of the day.

They become active again during the evening hours when the sun isn’t as hot. If you’re going to engage in physical activity such as running, biking, or hiking, it is best to avoid these times.

When Are Mosquitoes Least Active?

Mosquito on snow

Mosquitoes are cold-blooded, so they are less active when the temperatures fall below 50° Fahrenheit. In colder months, some species hibernate to ride out the winter. During mosquito season, when mosquitoes are the worst, they will remain in hiding not only during the hottest hours of the day but also during windy weather. They are not strong flyers, so they avoid the wind.

What Factors Affect Mosquito Activity?

Several factors play a role in mosquito activity. For example, there are over 175 different species in the U.S., and some have slightly different habits. While we talk about mosquitoes liking warm weather, humidity is another crucial component that affects their activity levels. Higher humidity is typically met with greater mosquito activity.

While mosquitoes are the worst in warm, humid weather, when it’s too hot, they often seek out protection from the sun in shaded woods, wetlands, and ponds. But overcast and cloudy skies protect them from drying out, leading mosquitoes to actively hunt during the day.

Avoiding Mosquito Bites

Mosquito on skin about to bite

Staying away from mosquitoes at all times is not only impossible but also impractical. That’s why it’s important to learn when mosquitoes are the worst so you can focus your protective efforts.

The following are a few tips for keeping them at bay:

  • Carry mosquito spray. You can buy it at the store or make your own using essential oils.
  • Drain standing water around the house.
  • Patch holes or rips in window and door screens to keep them out of the house.
  • Wear long sleeves and long pants to keep them away from your skin.
  • Add plants that are natural repellents to your garden. Basil, lavender, and lemongrass are just a few that will help keep your yard mosquito-free.
  • Use outdoor fans to protect your patio from mosquitoes.
  • Hire professional mosquito control services.

The surest way to take back your yard from these dangerous biting insects is to contact Mosquito Joe for seasonal mosquito treatments. Our treatments not only repel mosquitoes but are also effective on other pests, such as ticks, fleas, and some flies.

Mosquito Prevention Tips Before Their Peak Season

Pool of standing water in pot outside

Mosquitoes are the worst when their climate needs are met. That’s why mosquito season is when warm, humid weather prevails. For some climates, that’s summer. For other climates, it may be year-round. The good news is that there are steps you can take to lower your risk of getting bitten. They all come down to making mosquitoes uncomfortable on your property.

The most critical resources your property offers mosquitoes are water and shelter. So, these should be the focus of your mosquito prevention efforts. Eliminate all possible sources of standing water on your property. Dump out rain-filled buckets, clear blocked gutters, and empty the tire swing or any other receptacle — big or small — that holds water. If you have a birdbath or small pond, you can add pellets to the water that are safe for wildlife but kill mosquito larvae. These steps eliminate water the mosquitoes require for breeding.

But mosquitoes also need to drink. So, fix all leaky faucets and sprinkler systems, too. Then, cut your grass short, eliminate weeds, and compost all the leaf litter to minimize the places where mosquitoes can take shelter.

Mosquito-Free All Year Long with Mosquito Joe

Whether mosquitoes are worst in the summer months or all year round where you live, there’s one surefire way to send them packing. Mosquito Joe provides comprehensive pest control services to stop mosquitoes from ruining your family’s enjoyment of outdoor spaces. We offer barrier sprays, mosquito misting systems, and eco-friendly treatment options to get rid of the nasty biters.

All Mosquito Joe work is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise™ and the Mosquito Joe guarantee. We’re committed to your satisfaction. Let us make the outdoors fun for you again! Request a free quote today.

Mosquito Activity FAQs

What time of day are mosquitoes the worst?

Mosquitoes are most active during the early morning and early evening hours of a summer day. They must avoid the direct sun during the heat of the day because they dehydrate quickly.

What month are mosquitoes the worst?

Mosquitoes are most active when daytime temperatures are reliably above 70 degrees Fahrenheit. That translates to the summer months of June, July, and August in some climates. In other parts of the country, mosquito season may extend through the year.

What temperature do mosquitoes prefer?

Below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, mosquitoes become lethargic and slip into hibernation or die off. But they become much more active around 70 degrees Fahrenheit and up. Mosquitoes are the worst when the temperature reaches 80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature continues to climb, the mosquitoes rest in the shade and resume hunting when the temps fall again.

What weather makes mosquitoes go away?

Cold or windy weather drives mosquitoes into hiding. Warm, windy days see mosquitoes take temporary shelter. When temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, they become slow and lethargic. In winter, some die off while others slip into diapause — a modified hibernation.

What do mosquitoes hate the most?

Bats, spiders, dragonflies, damselflies, birds, and fish all eat mosquitoes. But wearing one of these mosquito predators around your neck is impractical. Mosquitoes can be repelled by natural scents, such as lemongrass, citronella, cinnamon, cedar, peppermint, catnip, patchouli, and lavender. Essential oils derived from these plants can be highly effective mosquito repellents.

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