What time do mosquitoes go to sleep?

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What time do mosquitoes go to sleep?
In the spring and summertime here in the Baton Rouge LA area, it often feels like mosquitoes are inescapable. With our warm and humid climate, mosquitoes have the perfect environment to reproduce and thrive for months on end. Even as the sun starts to set and the temperatures drop into the night, it seems that we still can’t catch a break from mosquito bites. This leaves many people wondering, when do mosquitoes sleep?

Do Mosquitoes Sleep?

Many different insects exhibit so-called “sleeping” patterns that don’t resemble our habits at all. Very little research has been conducted on how mosquitoes sleep. However, scientists believe that instead of sleeping per se, mosquitoes shut down and enter a state of almost complete inactivity. They do so at different points throughout the day, usually around midday and during the night. You can often find mosquitoes resting in heavily wooded or shaded areas during the heat of the day.

When Are Mosquitoes Most Active?

Mosquitoes are most active at times of low sunlight, dawn and dusk. They are also able to stay active through the night, but have less luck finding hosts to feed on. Most people report the highest activity at dawn and dusk in these places:

  • Heavily vegetated yards
  • Near ponds and lakes
  • Densely-wooded areas
  • At homes with pools, spas, birdbaths, or other standing water sources

If any of these features are unavoidable around your living space, you will most likely be dealing with mosquito problems for a large part of the year.

How to Avoid Mosquitoes in Baton Rouge LA

There are a few steps that you can take to avoid mosquitoes in Baton Rouge LA, including eliminating open standing water sources, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and using EPA-approved insect repellents. However, sometimes your prevention efforts can fail to give you the peace you’re looking for. When you rely on a professional mosquito control expert for help, they can set up custom barrier treatment to ensure that your particular property stays mosquito-free for months. For a free mosquito control quote or to learn more about how Dugas Pest Control deals with mosquitoes, contact us today!

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Most mosquitoes ‘sleep’ during the day and become active when the sun sets. This is because roaming around and ‘working’ in the sweltering heat during the daytime can be fatal for mosquitoes, as it can rapidly dehydrate them. To ensure that they experience a relatively cooler environment when they head out of their shelters, most mosquitoes remain inactive during the daytime and forage for food at dawn, dusk or nighttime.

Mosquitoes and cockroaches are some of the most despised creatures on the entire planet, but what makes mosquitoes more loathsome is that, unlike most cockroaches, they love to bite us. Also, since they can fly, they are far more annoying than cockroaches. Not to mention that mosquitoes are the most dangerous creatures on Earth when it comes to the number of human deaths they cause every year.

However, have you ever observed that these obnoxious bugs are mostly active at night? It’s not that they completely disappear during the daytime, but it’s true that your chances of getting bitten by a mosquito when it’s dark, (e.g., at dawn, dusk, night) are far greater than during the day.

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Why Do Mosquitoes Bite And Drink Blood?

The most pressing issue the human race has with the mosquito community is that their members love to bite us.

However, why do they do that? Many might think that they do it to get some nutrition and energy, build muscle and live a healthier life… that kind of thing, right?

If that’s what you think about mosquitoes, then let me tell two things – one, it’s only the female mosquitoes that bite and suck blood. Moreover, humans are not the only species that suffer through these blood-sucking tendencies; mosquitoes also attack animals and other vertebrates. Male mosquitoes, on the other hand, feed on flower nectar.

Secondly, female mosquitoes don’t suck blood for nutritional purposes, i.e., they don’t derive any energy or nutritional value from your blood. Rather, it uses the proteins and certain components in the blood to produce and develop their eggs.

In essence, our blood is used to bring more mosquitoes into the world!

Now, let’s get back to the original question…

Where Do Mosquitoes Go During The Daytime?

Just as it does to humans, the dry, sweltering heat of the daytime can quickly dehydrate mosquitoes. Therefore, (most) mosquitoes (e.g., Culex) rest during the day in dark, sheltered places away from the scorching heat. Wet and humid areas, such as caves, plants and grass, and even man-made structures like barns, culverts, cupboards and closets are some of the most common resting places for mosquitoes during the daytime.

Do All Mosquitoes Bite At Night?

No, there are some species of mosquitoes, like the Asian Tiger mosquito and Aedes, that primarily ‘work’ during the daytime and rest at night. There is another category of mosquitoes that feed during both times of day.

Irrespective of whether they are active during the day or night, some of these mosquito species are very dangerous.

Anopheles albimanus, the malaria mosquito.

Anopheles, which is mostly active during dusk and dawn, is the biggest threat to humans, as it’s a primary vector of malaria. Aedes, a day-biter, is known to spread Dengue fever and Yellow fever through their bites.

In a nutshell, although a lot of mosquito species are usually dormant during the daytime, there are some species that lurk around all the time, regardless of whether the sun is up or not. So, the best thing to do is to keep your surroundings clean, inspect your premises regularly for mosquito habitats and consider wearing long-sleeve clothing to be on the safe side!

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