Winters are becoming milder and spring is coming earlier. That means more mosquitoes survive the winter and they start breeding earlier in the year.
If it seems like the mosquitoes arrive sooner than they used to, it’s not in your head. Mosquitoes really are showing up earlier than they used to.
Mosquito activity is triggered by temperature. Once daytime highs hold consistently in the 50s Fahrenheit, mosquitoes wake up and start moving. When a warm spell arrives earlier in the spring, the mosquitoes follow it earlier too. Michigan’s springs have been trending warmer in recent years.
Adult mosquitoes go dormant through the winter. Many mosquito eggs are hardy enough to survive; they just won’t hatch until it’s warmer. Milder winters let more of both kinds of mosquitoes survive, so if combined with an early spring, it could mean a lot more mosquitoes than usual breeding a lot earlier than usual.
That said, this is the broad trend. Individual years are different. Cold and late springs push the mosquito season back. Harsher winters can tamp down on the overall population of mosquitoes. But the inverse is also true when winter is warm or spring is early. Even a few warm days are enough to wake up overwintered adult females that are ready to bite almost immediately. This is why it can feel like the first mosquitoes sometimes seem to appear out of nowhere.
In practice, what this all means is that you will need to start thinking about mosquitoes before you expect to. As the yard warms, start removing standing water where mosquitoes breed. Clear winter debris and fix places where water collects. You may also want to consider starting professional treatment early as well.
If you're tired of the mosquitoes beating you to the start of every season, Mosquito Squad of Grand Rapids can help. Mosquito Squad can begin the barrier early to get ahead of the population, helping protect your yard with up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
