Mosquitoes suck. Literally, mosquitoes have specialized mouth parts like bed bugs and fleas for sucking. Whereas male mosquitoes use these sucking mouthparts for plant juices and nectar, female mosquitoes (as we all have unfortunately experienced) suck blood to gain the proteins needed for egg production.
Once, our gal takes a blood meal (from you or your pet), she looks for a place with stagnant water to lay her eggs. The predominant mosquito in the Greenville area is the aggressive, Asian tiger mosquito, and she just needs a bottle cap full of water (1/8 inch of water) to lay her eggs. After 7-10 days or so you’ll have another generation of mosquitoes ready to bite. Such potential breeding areas include:
- Bird Baths
- Clogged Gutters
- Toys
- Rain Barrels
- Tire Swings
- Downspouts
- Tarps
- Tree Holes
- Catch Basins
- Planters
And the vicious cycle of mosquito bites and eggs and more bites continue throughout the year until temperatures drop below 50 degrees consistently (which in the Greenville area can be well into October or even November)
Why Mosquito Bites Itch and How To Stop Bites From Itching
After a mosquitos have what they want from you they leave you with a red bump, about the size of a dime, often called a mosquito bite. Not only is the mosquito bite unpleasant to look it but it becomes itches. Why do mosquito bites itch you ask? While a mosquito is feeding on your blood it injects its saliva into your skin. The bump and itching are a reacting to a mosquitos saliva entering the human body. Our natural reaction is to scratch the bites, but often this causes them to itch more because our skin becomes more inflamed. So how do you stop bites from itching? Here is a list of some ways to remedy itching from mosquito bites. It might take a little experimentation to works best for you.
- Clean the area with rubbing alcohol
- Apply honey to the bite
- Take an oatmeal bath
- Use a cold tea bag
- Make a basil rub
- Take over the counter antihistamines
- Use ointments containing lidocaine or benzocaine
- Apply aloe vera
- Mild corticosteriod cream
- Dilute minced garlic
How To Keep Mosquitoes Away
Wondering what to do to reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home? Call Spencer Pest Services and we will do a thorough inspection of your yard and treat mosquito breeding areas with environmentally friendly products and treat areas where biting adults rest. Concerned about pollinators? Spencer Pest has a natural based product that only targets container breeding mosquitoes (the ones most likely to bite you!) Take your outdoors back with Spencer Pest!
