Given the state of our thermometers for the past couple of months, you’d be forgiven for thinking we’re well into the summer months. According to the calendar, however, yesterday was the longest day of 2023, marking the beginning of the solstice and the dog days of summer.

Of course, on the Gulf Coast of Florida that also means we’re smack in hurricane season, rainy season and… Mosquito season.

Sure, there isn’t really a time when our unofficial state bird – er – insect isn’t hovering in our yards (and homes), but this is their busiest time of the year.

Afternoon Showers

If you’re new to our sub-tropical weather, this is the time of the year when you can practically set your watch by the showers. Every day between 2:30 and 4, the heavens open up and the rain comes down. Sometimes you can even stand in your front lawn and watch it rain across the street.

Within 15-30 minutes of the short downpour almost everything is dry. The problem is the little areas that don’t quite dry out. Whether they’re in shade, tucked into the eaves, or just outside the sun’s glare, there are pockets of standing water that remain – just long enough.

Born to be Biters

A mosquito’s life cycle begins being born in standing water. Those eggs need to dry out then get wet again to activate the hatching process. And it doesn’t take long.

A birdbath or potted plant sitting out in the yard collects a nice puddle, pregnant momma mosquitoes rush over and drop their eggs on the surface of the water or on the moist soil, and when it rains again the next day or two… an average of 100 new insects emerge.

So, within a couple weeks of our summer weather, it’s no surprise that we’re seemingly swarmed with mosquitoes – even if the ones biting us are only the pregnant females.

More Than Annoying

As if getting bitten and itching for a couple of days isn’t bad enough, mosquitoes are a bit more dangerous than many people think. It’s only been a few years since the mosquitoes were the talk of the town during the 28^th summer games in Brazil, but already many have forgotten that the Aedes aegypti spread Zika virus through that country and even to our own shores.

The Aedes aegypti, along with Culex and Anopheles species mosquitoes spread everything from dengue fever to chikungunya, west Nile virus, yellow fever and several forms of encephalitis to both us and our livestock and pets. They also sometimes provide a lift to the parasites that spread heartworm and malaria.

And while city and county governments make an effort to control mosquitoes, there’s only so much impact they can have on literally thousands of mosquitoes that will be born in our yards and wooded areas this summer.

Doing What You Can

Thankfully, there are several natural remedies you can employ to control mosquitoes and avoid bites in your backyard. After all, no one wants to stay inside all summer to ensure they won’t get mosquito bites (and even that isn’t foolproof). Summer is a time of camping, barbecues, picnics and vacations. Fourth of July fireworks don’t look the same from indoors.

Wearing long sleeves and slacks, especially in the evenings when you’re hanging out at the summer movie screenings, will help minimize mosquitoes’ access to your skin. Cutting back on drinking alcohol and soda will make you less attractive to biters with a sweet tooth. Skin so soft and lemon eucalyptus oil help repel mosquitoes – in fact, there are several natural plants you can keep on your porch to scare them away.

Of course, limiting the sources of standing water or treating the water with larvicide will also restrict the mosquito population. The CDC recommends discarding standing water at least once a week. We’d recommend being proactive daily.

Another approach is to try our No Bite Zones Mosquito Protection Program. Our revolutionary approach actually converts biting momma mosquitoes into vegans – a change they pass on to their offspring. Instead of feasting on your or your pets, they consume nectar and continue their God-given assignment of pollination.

We’re happy to drop off our exclusive MosquitoPaqs and mounting poles when we come by for your regular  pest service. For more details on No Bite Zones or our Go Green Perimeter Plus program, just give us a call or go to Nobitezones.com!