By Jean Ponzi
Be Mosquito Alert!
They bite us, we swat them. That’s fair.
There’s also positive action we can take. Let this buzz of mosquito facts inspire protecting our precious pollinators — and ourselves — as we control these pests.
Who Bites Whom — and Why?
Only female mosquitos bite. Males lack the proboscis, a specialized mouthpart, that females use to take a blood “meal” from various animal “prey.” Although it’s called “feeding,” this is reproductive strategy, not nutrition. Blood provides mated females with protein to produce eggs.
Mosquitos get nourishment for flight and other bodily functions from plant nectar, like many insects, while matchmaking for the flowers. Mosquitos are pollinators!
Mosquito Fun Fact: the needle-like proboscis is a tiny set of six surgical tools in a tube. Serrated pairs saw through skin and hold the slice open while the others inject numbing saliva and suck out blood. Such an adaptation. Ouch!
Stop ‘em Early, Stop ‘em Cold
Mosquitos must reproduce in standing, stagnant water. A gravid female won’t be attracted to your pond with a circulating burble or waterfall. Naturally moving water will wash eggs away, as will your normal 1-2-day bird bath water refresh.
Mosquito larvae (equivalent to caterpillars, among the butterflies) grow through four instars on a diet of microorganisms and decomposing plant stuff. In their brief pupal stage, they don’t eat. Their life cycle through aquatic eggs, larvae and pupae to terrestrial flying adults runs 7-12 days; it speeds up in hot weather (90s and above) to 3-5 days. For mosquitos, this year’s alternating rounds of rainfall and heat are prime times.
Anytime, they can flourish in patio plant saucers, toys or garden carts left out around the yard, and any other item that holds a little H2O. Scout around your place after a rain and remove these to the shed, the recycling bin or your landfill trash. Anti-Mosquito We-Can-Do: eliminate standing water!
For hard to access spaces like clogged gutters, corrugated drainpipes, or untended neighboring property, mobilize the power of Bti, sold as Mosquito Dunks. These are compressed cakes of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, a bacterium that occurs naturally in soil spores (not a synthetic) that will NOT harm birds, mammals, other insects, fish, reptiles or amphibians.
You’ll find Dunks at any home improvement store. One pack can last a summer or two. Crumble or broadcast some in water you can’t dump. Bti is only toxic to mosquitos and their relatives in Diptera, the fly family. When mosquito larvae eat it, their guts explode. Really. As with swatting them, that’s fair.
Take the Eco-Logical Actions
Our region’s longer, hotter summers and shorter, milder winters mean that climate change is giving mosquitos a warm welcome. Here’s how you can chill their impacts:
- Use a mosquito repellant! Reserve the “chemical magic” for yourself. Repellant works by jamming sensory signals all mosquitos use to find prey. It’s like spraying on an Invisibility Cloak. Stock a basket of DEET and some plant-based kinds for summer play and gatherings.
- Plug in an electric fan when sitting outdoors. Mosquitos are weak flyers, so a fan breeze will keep them off– and keep you cool!
- Wear loose, light-colored clothing when working outdoors. Long pants, long sleeves.
- Find, dump and remove standing water containers around your property to eliminate the places mosquitos need to breed. Treat water you can’t remove with Mosquito Dunks.
- DON’T resort to chemical fogging! Bug spray kills bugs, period. Don’t fall prey to “mosquito free” claims for costly “service” that WILL harm pollinators. Educate your local officials about the ineffectiveness and harms of routine fogging.
- Garden with native plants to invite mosquito predators. Biodiversity is Nature’s tried and true mosquito control.
- Join Mosquito Alert STL! This citizen science project helps local public health agencies monitor and responsibly respond to mosquito activity. Learn more at Facebook.com/MosquitoAlertSTL
As a longtime local voice for Earth, Jean Ponzi has contributed since 1997 to The Healthy Planet. Mosquitos are her jam. She’s in awe of their adaptations, and she swats them.