As we move more into summer months, Florida’s rainy season is in full swing. These rain events could be hurricane or severe storm related but one of the side effects is increased mosquito populations.
As UF/IFAS Entomologist Dr. Estelle Martin explains, increased rain levels can raise water into areas where mosquitos have laid their eggs. These eggs could have been laid long ago but waiting for optimal moist conditions. These conditions are suitable for the eggs, the larvae and the pupae which are all aquatic. The eggs are laid on the surface of the water or in a solid substrates that are in contact with water. Martin adds:
Mosquito development is directly tied to the temperature. So the higher the temperature, the faster the development time is. But usually from the egg to the adult form, it’s about two weeks. So you would start to see an increase in mosquito population about two weeks after major rainfall events.”
As Florida continues to see these increasing temperatures, coupled with large rain episodes, the chances for encounters between human and mosquito increase. To help keep those encounters to a minimum, check out the Ask IFAS Mosquito Control Subtopics and Publications. For videos on mosquito information, visit the IFAS Video YouTube channel Mosquito Information Playlist.
Source: UF/IFAS Pest Alert
