With just a few more weeks to enjoy the summer sun, the last thing anyone wants to worry about is pesky, annoying mosquitoes crashing your outdoor activities. You may wonder: how does hot weather affect the mosquitoes in your yard?

Mosquitoes are ectothermic (cold blooded), which means they rely on their environment to regulate their body temperature rather than producing the heat themselves. As a result, mosquitoes are heavily affected by the weather, and especially the temperature.

Their ideal temperature range is similar to ours, somewhere between 70 and 80 degrees fahrenheit. When it gets hotter than 90 degrees fahrenheit, their behavior may start to change. Here are three interesting ways hot weather affects mosquitoes.

They’re Less Active

If it’s too hot, sunny, and dry, mosquitoes will be less active during the day, when humidity is lowest. They’ll hide and bide their time in safe places – like woods, shrubbery, long grass, and standing water – until temperatures at dusk and dawn are more comfortable for activity and hunting.

(On the other hand, if it’s hot, wet, and muggy, mosquitoes may actually become more active during the day, as they thrive in moist, humid environments.)

They Get hungrier

Heat can also make mosquitoes hungrier and thirstier, so they need to seek out more blood meals. This is because their metabolism accelerates in the heat, and they can become dehydrated just like any other animal. Even though they’ll be largely inactive during the extreme heat of the daytime hours, they may become even more active than normal at dawn and dusk, as temperatures cool and they take advantage of the opportunities to satisfy their hunger and thirst.

They May Breed Faster

When hot weather persists for an extended period of time, mosquitoes may lay eggs more frequently and extend their breeding season. Long periods of heat may also warm shallow, standing water, where mosquitoes lay their eggs, hastening the growth of larvae and accelerating the mosquito life cycle. All of these breeding changes can actually result in a higher mosquito population.

Cooler Weather

The end of summer does not mean the end of mosquito season! As temperatures begin to cool for fall, the mosquitoes are more likely to be active during the warmth of daylight hours. It’s not until temperatures drop consistently below 55 degrees Fahrenheit that mosquito activity starts to decline for the winter.

Reclaim your outdoor space with Mosquito Hero

Mosquito Hero is here to help you reclaim your outdoor space from dangerous, harmful pests like ticks and mosquitoes. Our mosquito control services give you custom, targeted control and monthly service from a trained professional, effectively reducing the mosquito population in your yard. And our tick control service aims to eliminate these pests from your property and prevent further tick activity.