Do Mosquitoes Come Out in the Cold?
Whether mosquitoes come out in the cold or not is not a matter of if, but when. During the winter, some mosquitoes go into hibernation and others hatch. In the warmer months, some mosquitoes will be active.
There are several species of mosquitoes that are known to bite humans. Some mosquitoes, such as Aedes aegypti, are known carriers of the Zika virus. Some female mosquitoes die off in cold weather, but some survive.
When temperatures drop below 50 degrees, female mosquitoes will go into hibernation. These mosquitoes will hide in hollow logs, animal burrows, and basements. They will also seek out muddy bottoms of swimming pools. They will also lay eggs in the ground.
When the weather is warmer, female mosquitoes will come out of hibernation and lay eggs. They can lay up to 300 eggs at once. The eggs take about 24-48 hours to hatch. They then become adult mosquitoes. In a short amount of time, the females will fatten up to 10 times their normal fat levels. They will then enter their diapause, which is a period of suspended development.
Some mosquitoes have eggs that survive freezing weather and hatch in the spring. Some mosquitoes, such as Anopheles walkeri, lay larger winter eggs. They are also known to raise the level of glycerol in their body. They then switch from blood to sugary foods.
The most common mosquito species in Austin are Aedes albopictus. Some species, such as Culiseta inornata, also known as snow mosquitoes, are active in the south.