The wardrobe choices that give you an edge Mosquitos are a problem in South Florida throughout the year, but they become a special kind of nuisance as we head into summer. If you don’t want to stay holed up in your home for the next several months, you have to figure out how to deal…
Recent discoveries could soon put a crimp in the mosquito mating game If you’ve spent time outside recently, you’ve probably heard some nice sounds: birds singing, squirrels chattering, perhaps kids playing. But if you’re in Florida, you’ve also probably heard something a bit sinister: mosquitos buzzing. Although there’s really no such thing as mosquito season…
Mosquitos need stagnant water, still air, and a lack of off-putting scents to find their way onto the guest list You’ve made plans for a backyard BBQ to bite into some good grilled food, but you don’t recall inviting mosquitos and other pests to bite into you. There’s food involved, so the last thing you…
Learn how this research can teach us valuable lessons We’ve been in the mosquito business a long time now, but we’re still constantly learning new things about these fascinating creatures. For example, a study last year shed some light on why mosquitos are so difficult to detect, and the answer lies with their takeoffs. It…
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the use of Wolbachia pipientis to be used against wild mosquitos that transmit harmful viruses A Lexington, Kentucky biotechnology startup company called MosquitoMate is purposely raising and releasing lab-reared mosquitos in 20 US states and Washington, DC. As if there aren’t enough of these pests already! There’s…
The wind carries them away, but the standing water left in a hurricane’s wake is a mosquito’s favorite place to reproduce Living in an area prone to hurricanes invites a delayed reaction that can cause problems beyond the damage caused by a storm. The standing water left behind after a hurricane blows through becomes the…
See how far we’ve come and what’s in store for the future Every August 20th is World Mosquito Day, but don’t let the name fool you; this is not a day to celebrate mosquitos. Instead, it’s a commemoration of a momentous mosquito discovery. It was on August 20, 1897, that the British doctor Sir Ronald…
Global warming may not be good for us, but it could be great for mosquitos Although global warming (more accurately, anthropogenic climate change) is still a heated debate (no pun intended) – at least in terms of exactly how fast it will have an impact – one thing is clear: Warmer temperatures are great for…
Ranking the species by the threat Most mosquitos are harmless. That may not be a popular sentiment around these parts, but it’s true. Of the 3,500 different kinds of mosquitos, only about 100 of them actually spread disease. And because it’s only the females that bite people, half of that 100 can immediately be discounted.…
These mosquito eaters cut down on your biting nemesis Pest control has a lot in common with warfare and politics, at least in one sense: the enemy of your enemy is often your friend. And in the case of controlling the mosquito population, there are several friendly species that hit up mosquitos for food. But…