Wait, so all this arctic weather doesn’t mean a reduction in the mosquito population? So what’s the point of it, then?
“The freeze is going to kill some of the population, but it’s not going to wipe out everything,” said Wizzie Brown, a specialist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
Some will survive by finding shelter. And there’s the billions of mosquito eggs laid across Harris County, just waiting to hatch during the next hard rain and when temperatures warm a little. The eggs, Brown said, are pretty sturdy and most will probably survive the hard freeze intact.
Other insects will also find ways to survive. Fire ants will dig deeper into the ground to find warmer temperatures. Cockroaches will invade homes or compost piles.
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So yes, the next few days will be virtually mosquito free. But when it warms modestly, and the rains begin to fall, look out.
I note this for two reasons. One, for years now Tiffany has told me that we need a good hard freeze every winter in order to curtail the skeeter population. I’ve heard it so often I’d started to believe it myself. Now that I know it’s not so, I can freely moan about how much I hate cold weather with a clear conscience. And two, because “Wizzie” is easily the best name I’ve heard in months.
If “a good hard freeze” killed mosquitoes, Minnesota would have none. Trust me – it’s all about standing water.
Wizzie Brown and Whizzer White would have made a great team.
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