Yes, hurricanes and tropical storms can cause a dramatic surge in mosquitoes, because the flooding they bring leaves behind vast amounts of standing water for mosquitoes to breed in.
Along the Gulf Coast, the mosquitoes often arrive as a second wave of trouble after a storm has passed, and the reason is all that water. The boom usually shows up a week or two after the storm. The biting and the swarming are enough to drive you mad!
Floodwater species lay drought-resistant eggs in low-lying soil where they lie dormant until soaked. When a storm inundates the ground, they hatch, sometimes all at once and in truly enormous numbers. One big storm can make all the puddles, ditches, and low spots in an area mosquito habitats at the same time.
When the weather is warm, it might only take a week for an egg to become a biting adult. That’s fast, but it still means the infestation arrives well after the skies clear. In hurricane-prone areas like Houston, this pattern is all too familiar.
Massive spikes in mosquito populations are also not good for public health. This is why major rain events prompt local health departments to closely monitor mosquito activity. They need to keep an eye on mosquito-borne illness, which tends to tick up in frequency with the size of the mosquito population.
Once the storm has passed and you can get around the yard, it helps to dump standing water and clear storm debris. Drain the low spots that you can. As the yard dries out, treatment helps further cut back on the mosquito population surge.
If you're tired of the mosquito explosion that follows every big storm, Mosquito Squad of Houston can help. Mosquito Squad pairs post-storm source-reduction guidance with a barrier treatment, helping protect your yard with up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
