Mosquitoes tend to be most active when the light is low and they’re hard to see. Additionally, some species are very small, some bite during the day when you're not expecting them, and all of them are drawn to you by CO2 and body heat rather than by sight.
They find you before you see them. That’s one of the worst parts about mosquitoes, and it’s not your imagination.
If you find yourself covered in stealth bites, there is a very good chance you got them from an Asian tiger mosquito. These are small, fast, and bite during the day, which catches people off guard. Most people associate mosquitoes with dusk, so they don't think to look for them at noon. Tiger mosquitoes are also lower fliers, which means they’re the ankle-biters.
Culex mosquitoes are not as small, but they’re the ones active around dusk. By the time they’re ready to bite you, the light is low and you’ll have a hard time seeing them coming. You may hear them, though, as they tend to be noisier. By the time full darkness arrives and you might notice them near a porch light, you've already been bitten.
Mosquitoes sense the carbon dioxide you exhale and the body heat you radiate. A mosquito can land on your arm, feed for a few seconds, and leave before you even notice it. The bite reaction (the itching and swelling) won’t start until minutes or hours later, after which the fed mosquito will have long-since flown away.
Last but possibly the most underrated factor here: mosquitoes rest most of the day. They hide in dense vegetation and under shade during the day so they don’t dry out. They emerge to feed when the conditions are right, which often means they live a lifestyle of hide-bite-hide-again.
If invisible bites are a recurring problem on your Worcester property, Mosquito Squad of Worcester can help. Mosquito Squad treats the resting areas where mosquitoes hide between feedings, reducing the population by up to 90% with technician visits every 21 days.
