Mosquitoes remain active while temperatures are in the 50s or higher and they can still bite you. They become largely dormant when temperatures are below 50.
Michigan summers often start warm and end with a light jacket. So after a cold front passes through, you might wonder if that’s enough to scare off the mosquitoes. The answer, unfortunately, is often no, or at least not as much as you’d hope.
Mosquitoes are cold-blooded. So their pace depends a lot on temperature. When the weather is in the 80s, they’re fast, active, and aggressive. They remain active in the 60s and 70s, but they don’t quite manage the same peak summer vigor. Once temperatures start to get into the 50s, they will start flying a lot slower and they’ll be less prone to seek out hosts. But a determined female can and will still take a blood meal if you’re close. It’s only when temperature dips below 50 that activity largely stops. But even then, it’s dormancy, not demise. A warm snap can wake them right back up.
It gets more complex from there. Some species of mosquitoes are more cold-tolerant. Others stay active in microclimates that skew warmer and more humid. Plus, dusk is peak activity for mosquitoes regardless of temperature, so you can still be swarmed by mosquitoes at dusk even when it’s 62 degrees.
For you, that means it’s a good idea to think about mosquito control even when the weather isn’t necessarily hot. Check your yard for sources of standing water and dump out what you can. This cuts down on breeding. Trim back vegetation and mow the lawn so they have fewer places to hide. And if they still give you trouble, consider professional mosquito control.
If you are tired of mosquitoes bothering you on cooler nights, Mosquito Squad of Southwest Michigan can help. Mosquito Squad treats through the full season, helping protect your evenings with up to 90% reduction in mosquito activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
