With the arrival of the summer, as soon as the days get longer and temperatures rise, mosquitoes suddenly materialize.
Where did they spend the winter?
In fact they have always remained close to us, hidden in well sheltered places, attics, basements, hollow trees, caves etc.. slowing their vital functions in a kind of hibernation that allows them to overcome the winter. In other cases, mosquito adults disappear but leave eggs ready to hatch in Spring.
How do common mosquito and tiger mosquito survive winter
The common mosquito (Culex pipiens) and the tiger mosquito (Aedes Albopictus) to overcome the winter, pass in a phase called diapause that involves a reduction in metabolism or staying hidden in protected environments.
Before the diapause, the last mosquitoes born before winter, stop using the blood they took from the victim to feed the eggs and use it to accumulate energy reserves.
Only female mosquitoes survive winter
So only female mosquitoes survive the winter, males no. the conservation of the species is ensured by means of an organ that females possess in which they store sperm after mating, at the appropriate time they will use them to fertilize eggs.
The city mosquito does not enter a complete diapause, it is limited to reducing activity by resting in protected environments with stagnant water where it lays eggs. If it finds favorable conditions, it reactivates and goes around to sting.
Tiger mosquitoes defeat winter through eggs
In the case of the tiger mosquito, however, only the eggs survive the winter entering the diapause phase, the development of the embryo remains blocked until Spring. The females, when the light hours drop, lay at the edges of areas with water, very resistant eggs capable of surviving at temperatures below zero and dry.
The signal of spring awakening, for both eggs and adults, coincides with the increase in light hours, temperature and water level, this is the time to contact Defender System, the perimeter mosquito control system.
