Whether you’re enjoying a peaceful hike through Canada’s picturesque wilderness or hosting a backyard cookout with friends, mosquitoes are a surefire way to ruin everyone’s good time. Although Truly Nolen provides mosquito control services in Waterloo year-round, mosquito activity patterns vary widely with the season and weather. Understanding these weather-related behaviours can help pest control professionals and homeowners alike predict and combat these irritating insects.

In What Weather Are Mosquitoes Most Active?

Mosquitoes, like most insects, are cold-blooded and can’t regulate their body temperatures. Consequently, their metabolisms speed up as the temperature warms up. This, in turn, increases how much they need to eat, and consequently how likely they are to actively seek food — and bite you.

Mosquitoes reach peak activity levels at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). Keep in mind, though, that while the temperature is important, it’s not the only factor that affects mosquito activity levels. Humidity levels and wind speeds are also highly influential. Mosquitos thrive, and are most active, in warm, humid, weather with minimal wind.

Can Temperatures Get Too Warm for Mosquitoes?

In short, yes. Prolonged sun exposure combined with very high temperatures dehydrates mosquitos, which is why in many areas they tend to be most active at dawn and at dusk when temperatures and humidity levels are more favourable. Unfortunately for residents of the Kitchener-Waterloo region, typical summertime temperatures in this area aren’t nearly hot enough to slow mosquitoes down.

While extreme heat can put a damper on mosquito feeding and breeding activity, higher temperatures are a bit of a double-edged sword. For mosquitoes carrying viruses and other diseases, higher heat shortens the disease incubation period and makes the viruses more active and easier to transmit. In addition, mosquitoes infected with diseases need to feed more frequently. In other words, while high heat can have a slowing effect on mosquito activity, it also makes active mosquitoes more dangerous, and dangerous mosquitoes more active.

Does Cold Weather Affect Mosquitoes?

Just as warmer temperatures speed up mosquitoes’ metabolic rates, colder weather slows their bodily functions. Many species of mosquitoes go dormant when average daytime high temperatures begin to fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius).

Although you may not see active mosquitoes during cold weather, for the most part, they aren’t dead. Instead, many species enter what’s known as diapause — a dormant state similar to hibernation — until temperatures rise again in the spring. As an alternative to diapause, some species of mosquitoes lay eggs in the fall and winter. These eggs remain dormant throughout the cold winter months, then hatch in the spring when the ground thaws.

How Does Rain Impact Mosquito Behaviour?

In general, rain tends to increase mosquito activity. This is because rainfall increases overall humidity and increases the amount of standing water in the environment.

Mosquitoes must have warm, stagnant water to reproduce. Female mosquitoes lay eggs in pools of standing water, typically 200-300 eggs at one time. “Pools” may be an overstatement: a puddle the size of a bottle cap is plenty of room for 300 mosquito eggs or more. So long as the eggs remain undisturbed and submerged in water, they usually hatch within 24-48 hours. Newly hatched mosquito larvae grow into mature adults within about four to six days.

Why Choose Truly Nolen’s Mosquito Control Services in Waterloo?

Mosquitoes aren’t just annoying: These persistent pests can spread dangerous diseases and may pose a significant threat to humans, pets, and livestock. Truly Nolen of Waterloo takes an individualized, year-round approach to mosquito control.

Our experienced technicians will thoroughly inspect your home and property to identify and eliminate potential mosquito breeding grounds, then work with you to create a custom action plan to minimize mosquito activity around your home or business in any weather.