Posted: 9/4/2007 9:24:07 PM EDT
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On Sunday, there seemed to be a spontaneous and sharp increase in the mosquito population. I thought maybe it was just my area, but coworkers were telling me today that regardless of where they went they experienced the same. So...is this just the spawning cycle after our heavy rains a fortnight ago? |
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Depends what part of the state you're in. I was up by Norwalk this weekend and I noticed there was still places with standing water. Down here in Cincy, we haven't had a significant rain for about 3 months, so the mosquito population is pretty low. If what I remember is correct, it takes about a 14 days for mosquitos to mature from eggs to adults. So if it flooded two weeks ago, you'll be experiencing the insects now. |
i thought it was gonna be about when you catch biting and pinch the skin around them. they cant pull out and will explode, well more like pop. i did notice a few Sunday and i have not seen any until then. |
Smarty Pants. This from MosquitoBuzz.com: The Life Cycle of Mosquitoes All mosquitoes go through a four-stage life cycle: (1) egg, (2) larva, (3) pupa and (4) adult. To begin the cycle a female mosquito obtains a blood meal. One blood meal supplies enough nutrients for the female mosquito to produce up to 250 eggs at one time. She then finds an ideal aquatic location to lay her eggs, usually directly on the surface of stagnant water, in a depression or on the edge of a container where rainwater may collect. Within 48 hours the eggs will hatch into larvae. The larvae lives in the water from seven to fourteen days, only coming to the surface to breath. It feeds on microorganisms in the water until it develops into the third stage of the life cycle called a pupa. The pupa also lives in the water but no longer feeds. After one to four days the mosquito emerges from the pupal case as a fully developed adult. The adult mosquito then rests on the surface of the water to allow its body to dry and harden before it can fly away. Male mosquitoes do not bite animals or humans; they feed only on plant juices. Females however are the blood-seekers. They need the protein that animal and human blood provides to produce their eggs. Exhaled carbon dioxide, from up to 100-150 feet away, is what first attracts a female mosquito to her prey. As the mosquito punctures the flesh, its saliva is injected into the skin. The mosquito's saliva is what causes an allergic reaction, leaving the puncture wound swollen and itchy. If the mosquito is infected with any kind of disease, it is transferred into the prey through its saliva. There are approximately 3,000 different species of mosquitoes throughout the world. In the United States, there are 150 different species. Different species will carry different types of diseases and will attack and breed at different times of the day. To find out which types of mosquitoes you have in your area, go to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Web site to find contact information for your local EPA office. Damn women. |