09/07/2022
Did you know that those gazillion mosquitoes that appeared a few days after the huge rain passed through North Texas weren't there because your mosquito traps suddenly failed. They were there because they were a time-released different mosquito, called the "Flood Water Mosquito." These hatches appear in warmer whether, when water isn't clear or cold.
From the CDC: "Immediately following a hurricane, flooding occurs. Mosquito eggs laid in the soil by floodwater mosquitoes during previous floods hatch. This results in very large populations of floodwater mosquitoes. Most of these mosquitoes are considered nuisance mosquitoes."
They don't tend to spread more disease, but they are larger and aggressive. So that's why yardwork in the dusk and dawn hours was so difficult in the last couple of weeks.
From a pest control site that specializes in these pests, they say "By floodwater, it means that they lay their eggs individually on moist soil above the waterline at a wide variety of aquatic habitats, including temporary pools such as detention ponds or irrigated fields, but also permanent water bodies where the water level fluctuates. They especially prefer to lay eggs where there is a lot of leaf and twig cover, helping to keep the soil moist. After a short period of drying, the eggs must subsequently be flooded with water to hatch. During periods of drought, eggs can remain dormant but viable for many years, waiting for the water to rise."
Don't be fooled by the photo of the mosquito (Aedes vexans by Katje Schultz via CC) resting on a flower; they are aggressive biters and go after humans and pets. (The CDC link below gives some of this information; we'll turn this into a more informational topic soon.)
https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/community/mosquitoes-and-hurricanes.html
