What is Diapause?

What is Diapause?

Diapause is the process by which mosquitoes hibernate during the winter. After millions of years of surviving winters, it’s their tried-and-true method of surviving the harsh temperatures so they may continue to breed and bite in your yard the next season.

What do mosquitoes do just before entering diapause, during, and as soon as coming out of diapause?

When the temperature drops below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, mosquito season is likely over, and these insects should go to sleep to prepare for winter. Female mosquitoes will look for safe places to hibernate and burrow into the ground, trees, logs, or other secure areas. Mosquitoes will sometimes find their way into your home and hide in places like the basement or attic before going to sleep for the winter.

When it is cold, or there isn’t enough water, mosquitoes go through a stage called diapause. During diapause, mosquitoes stop growing and slow down their metabolism. Female mosquitoes will enter this state after taking shelter somewhere dark and warm. They will stay in this state until the weather warms up again or there is enough water. They can stay like this for a few months until the conditions suit the insects.

Technically, this isn’t the way you think of hibernation. They aren’t like bears sleeping. Mosquitoes don’t go to sleep until it gets warmer. Instead, they stay in a state of suspended development so that the change in seasons doesn’t affect their bodies.

Why is it important to treat it to the end of the season and start at the beginning of the season?

The treatment at the beginning of the season significantly reduces the number of mosquitoes that come out of diapause. The last treatment at the end of the season significantly reduces the number of mosquitoes that go into diapause- in turn, starting your next season off with an already lowered population.

Also, the first and last treatments of the season are critical to keeping the populations on many yards at a manageable level. Each treatment builds off the last.
If services are paused and an infestation builds up, we often start from square one again.

Where do we spray for some of the last treatments of the year that are different from where we normally spray?

We’re looking for places where they want to overwinter. We will target the decks, eaves, cellars, crawl spaces, shed, vents, and animal burrows during the final treatment. These are the spots that will protect them from winter’s harsh elements. You can trust that our expertly trained technicians will ensure your yard is protected against female mosquitoes and eggs looking to overwinter through diapause!

Give us a call today at 866-4-A-HUNTER for more information and check out our Google reviews to see what our customers have to say about our treatments at www.staugustinelovesmh.com.