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The Asian Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is a non-native mosquito that is fast becoming a significant pest in the area. Asian Tigers are easy to identify because they look very different from other mosquitoes: they are black and white (other mosquitoes are more brown and yellow), smaller than other mosquitoes, have black and white banding on their legs and abdomen, and a white "racing stripe" down the back of their head and thorax. If you see an Asian Tiger mosquito you will immediately recognize it as "different." Unlike Culex pipiens that is out in the evening when many people are indoors, the Asian Tiger is usually out during the day, when many people (including children) are outside. The Asian Tiger is a vicious biter, a vigorous breeder and tends to fly low where it bites children and legs and ankles of adults.
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Asian Tiger mosquito </td></tr></tbody></table>Asian Tigers breed ONLY in small containers: cans, bottles, bottle caps, children's toys, wading pools, trash cups, old tires, anything that can hold as little as a teaspoon of water. They do not breed in ponds or other large bodies of water. Large-scale spraying is not effective against Asian Tiger mosquitoes. The only way to be rid of them is by eliminating their breeding places. Asian Tigers are extremely weak flyers with a range of only about 50 feet, so if you have Asian Tigers look carefully around your property or your adjacent neighbors' property for their source.
When they are not biting people or other animals, mosquitoes stay in cool, dark or shady places such as in tall grass or under porches and decks. Mosquitoes live for about two weeks to a month, so they need to protect themselves from drying out in the sun.
Mosquito Breeding Habitats
All mosquitoes require water to reproduce. Contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes do not breed in tall grass or thick brush. These areas provide an excellent refuge for adult mosquitoes during the heat of the day but in no way contribute to mosquito breeding, nor do they provide habitat for mosquito larvae. Mosquito eggs are laid on stagnant water and must go through a development cycle (eggs to larvae to pupae to adult) that requires them to remain in the water until they become adult mosquitoes. If they are deprived of the water at any time before adult mosquitoes emerge (whether it drains away, evaporates or is dumped), no mosquitoes will result.
The mosquito development process requires that water be standing or stagnant FOR ABOUT A WEEK. This is important to understand because some people have become unnecessarily concerned about water that naturally evaporates or drains away within a few days. For instance, after a heavy rainstorm there may be standing water in ditches and swales at the side of roads, in tire ruts on construction sites, or in puddles on the road. If the water is gone in a week or less, mosquitoes will not breed in these locations because they will not be able to complete their life cycle. Mosquitoes also do not breed in moving water, such as in streams or in ponds that have water flushing through them frequently. Here is what the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has to say about mosquitoes in stormwater management ponds.
Controlling Mosquitoes Around Your Home
As described above, all mosquitoes require standing water to breed, and most mosquitoes do not fly far from the location where they were bred to feed. Thus one of the best ways to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard is to implement a regular (weekly) program to dispose of accumulated water. Consult this checklist compiled by Montgomery County for a listing of potential mosquito breeding sites and what you can do to correct them.
The most common prevention tips to reduce mosquito breeding sites are to turn over, throw away, or drill holes in the bottom of any container in your yard capable of holding water (garbage and recycling containers, for example); dump out bird baths or flush weekly with fresh water; empty potted plant saucers, outdoor pet bowls, and any children?s toys that may accumulate water regularly; and make sure rain gutters are free from clogging debris so that rain drains properly. Continue to be vigilant about any sources of standing water that you can remove, because the mosquitoes that are likely to bite you around your home are probably coming from nearby.
Ornamental ponds stocked with fish do not breed mosquitoes, because the fish eat the mosquito eggs and larvae. Similarly, natural wetlands and stormwater management ponds contain habitats that support natural mosquito predators such as dragonflies, aquatic insects, fish and birds. These many beneficial predators can be harmed by certain pesticides, making mosquito control that much more difficult in the long run.
Common-Sense Precautions to Avoid Being Bitten by Mosquitoes
Because mosquitoes are not only annoying but have the potential to transmit disease, you should take common-sense precautions to avoid being bitten. Wear long pants and sleeves when outdoors whenever practical, and use insect repellant on exposed skin. Testing performed by the EPA indicates that repellants containing DEET are effective and safe when applied following manufacturer?s instructions. Avoid being outdoors for extended periods during high exposure times - early morning and dusk for the common mosquito (although Asian Tiger mosquitoes may be active during the day). Also, ensure that window and door screens are in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house and feeding upon you in your sleep.
<table style="border-style: none; border-width: 0px;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="4" width="150"><tbody><tr><td style="white-space: normal;" colspan="1" rowspan="1" align="center" valign="top">
Asian Tiger mosquito </td></tr></tbody></table>Asian Tigers breed ONLY in small containers: cans, bottles, bottle caps, children's toys, wading pools, trash cups, old tires, anything that can hold as little as a teaspoon of water. They do not breed in ponds or other large bodies of water. Large-scale spraying is not effective against Asian Tiger mosquitoes. The only way to be rid of them is by eliminating their breeding places. Asian Tigers are extremely weak flyers with a range of only about 50 feet, so if you have Asian Tigers look carefully around your property or your adjacent neighbors' property for their source.
When they are not biting people or other animals, mosquitoes stay in cool, dark or shady places such as in tall grass or under porches and decks. Mosquitoes live for about two weeks to a month, so they need to protect themselves from drying out in the sun.
Mosquito Breeding Habitats
All mosquitoes require water to reproduce. Contrary to popular belief, mosquitoes do not breed in tall grass or thick brush. These areas provide an excellent refuge for adult mosquitoes during the heat of the day but in no way contribute to mosquito breeding, nor do they provide habitat for mosquito larvae. Mosquito eggs are laid on stagnant water and must go through a development cycle (eggs to larvae to pupae to adult) that requires them to remain in the water until they become adult mosquitoes. If they are deprived of the water at any time before adult mosquitoes emerge (whether it drains away, evaporates or is dumped), no mosquitoes will result.
The mosquito development process requires that water be standing or stagnant FOR ABOUT A WEEK. This is important to understand because some people have become unnecessarily concerned about water that naturally evaporates or drains away within a few days. For instance, after a heavy rainstorm there may be standing water in ditches and swales at the side of roads, in tire ruts on construction sites, or in puddles on the road. If the water is gone in a week or less, mosquitoes will not breed in these locations because they will not be able to complete their life cycle. Mosquitoes also do not breed in moving water, such as in streams or in ponds that have water flushing through them frequently. Here is what the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has to say about mosquitoes in stormwater management ponds.
Controlling Mosquitoes Around Your Home
As described above, all mosquitoes require standing water to breed, and most mosquitoes do not fly far from the location where they were bred to feed. Thus one of the best ways to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard is to implement a regular (weekly) program to dispose of accumulated water. Consult this checklist compiled by Montgomery County for a listing of potential mosquito breeding sites and what you can do to correct them.
The most common prevention tips to reduce mosquito breeding sites are to turn over, throw away, or drill holes in the bottom of any container in your yard capable of holding water (garbage and recycling containers, for example); dump out bird baths or flush weekly with fresh water; empty potted plant saucers, outdoor pet bowls, and any children?s toys that may accumulate water regularly; and make sure rain gutters are free from clogging debris so that rain drains properly. Continue to be vigilant about any sources of standing water that you can remove, because the mosquitoes that are likely to bite you around your home are probably coming from nearby.
Ornamental ponds stocked with fish do not breed mosquitoes, because the fish eat the mosquito eggs and larvae. Similarly, natural wetlands and stormwater management ponds contain habitats that support natural mosquito predators such as dragonflies, aquatic insects, fish and birds. These many beneficial predators can be harmed by certain pesticides, making mosquito control that much more difficult in the long run.
Common-Sense Precautions to Avoid Being Bitten by Mosquitoes
Because mosquitoes are not only annoying but have the potential to transmit disease, you should take common-sense precautions to avoid being bitten. Wear long pants and sleeves when outdoors whenever practical, and use insect repellant on exposed skin. Testing performed by the EPA indicates that repellants containing DEET are effective and safe when applied following manufacturer?s instructions. Avoid being outdoors for extended periods during high exposure times - early morning and dusk for the common mosquito (although Asian Tiger mosquitoes may be active during the day). Also, ensure that window and door screens are in good repair to prevent mosquitoes from entering the house and feeding upon you in your sleep.
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