It’s the question we often hear and the answer we hate giving, but the fact of the matter is mosquitoes don’t go away in Texas. The activity level, which is driven by temperatures and weather (read water), will dimmish but they won’t go away.
After the snowpocalypse of 2021, we had a LOT of people calling us complaining that the mosquitoes were back and asking why the freezing temperatures didn’t kill them.
It’s logical to think that the little suckers were wiped out with such extreme (for Texas) weather, but sadly, that’s not how it works. You only have to think about Alaska and its intense mosquito issues every summer to realize that mosquitoes are incredibly resilient and unaffected by a freeze. They simply go to sleep and wake up when the temperature hits about 50-55 degrees and life goes on as normal.
So, if they don’t go away what happens? It varies year by year with our weather of course, but there are some general rules of thumb we can expect. Some species of mosquitoes that we have in Texas have become less active. The adults die and their eggs lay in wait until the temperatures climb a bit. Those eggs are often laid in areas that are prone to holding water, and often under and around fallen leaves. Therefore, keeping your yard tidy will help so much come spring. Other species of mosquitoes actually prefer cooler temperatures and will become more active, like the Culiseta inomata. Known as the “winter” mosquito, it prefers cooler temperatures and is active across Texas. It is also a vector for West Nile, which is another reason that managing the water and leaf litter/pine needles/gutters in your yard should be a year-round focus and not something you only consider in the summer.
We say this a lot in our blogs, but it’s always worth repeating. Mosquitoes are active unless one of the following 2 things occurs.
- The temperatures fall under 55 degrees and stay under for a week.
- We have 3 deep freezes in a row.
What is also important to remember, and often overlooked, is that as soon as the temperatures rise over 55 degrees, they all wake back up and proceed as if nothing had happened.
Mosquito eggs can live 10 years in the ground and then a single drop of water can hit it and it will hatch. Mosquitoes have been around for over 200 MILLION YEARS! They are the worlds’ deadliest creatures and have evolved to manage weather and, frankly, laugh in the face of it.
Knowing that they never go away is important. It brings a new understanding to our fall chores of raking and gutter management. It’s not just about making things look managed and tidy, but it goes a long way to reducing your issues not only in the here and now, but in the spring when things really start kicking up a notch.
If you have any questions don’t ever hesitate to give us a call. We believe that educating folks about mosquitoes is so important and advice is always free!
