Not fun!

Ron Evers · Mar 22, 2013

It is winter here in the great white north, oh wait it is now spring but still white outside & below freezing. So why have we been plagued by skeeters in the house all along? This is one SOB I just killed on my wrist.

I do not understand, there is no standing water in the house for them to breed. :grumpy:

pgriz · Mar 22, 2013

Well, strictly speaking, that could not be a SOB, as biting mosquitos are female. However, does your house have an adjoining garage or shed area with leaves? According to the two articles I checked, mosquito females overwinter in leaves, under bark, etc. (see: Mosquito overwintering, and Mosquitoes in Winter - Where Do Mosquitoes Go in Winter?), so if you have a shed area, and the temperature was above freezing, they could have come out of hibernation...

Ron Evers · Mar 23, 2013

pgriz said:
Well, strictly speaking, that could not be a SOB, as biting mosquitos are female. However, does your house have an adjoining garage or shed area with leaves? According to the two articles I checked, mosquito females overwinter in leaves, under bark, etc. (see: Mosquito overwintering, and Mosquitoes in Winter - Where Do Mosquitoes Go in Winter?), so if you have a shed area, and the temperature was above freezing, they could have come out of hibernation...

I suppose they are coming in with the firewood from the front porch.

mishele · Mar 23, 2013

I'm so looking forward to the warmer weather but not those guys. I seem to be a tasty treat all summer long.

PixelRabbit · Mar 23, 2013

Uh oh Ron, you are scaring me! We had it easy last year with it being so dry.... that gal out and about now and the wetter weather aren't good signs for this year ! lol

pgriz · Mar 23, 2013

mishele said:
I'm so looking forward to the warmer weather but not those guys. I seem to be a tasty treat all summer long.

I can relate. When we go camping, the only mosquito in the tent is invariably attracted to me. My wife uses me as the skeeter decoy when we go walking. Ultrasound repellents don't work, DEET apparently isn't safe (not to mention it melts anything plastic), and citronella makes you smell like a lemon (who wants to be a fruit?). So my solution is to be moving faster than they can fly (run, bike, paddle, etc.), or be in a nice breeze. But they are better than black flies. Those little buggers are MUCH worse.