The onset of warmer temperatures means shorter clothes and more time spent outside, but it also brings with it the emergence of small, buzzing bloodsuckers that leave itchy bites.
Although it’s early to say, a chilly spring could mean fewer mosquitoes in Toronto and other parts of Ontario, an expert says.
Rosalind Murray, an assistant professor in entomology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, told CTV News Toronto that the highest abundance of mosquitoes happens in late May or early June and lasts through October.
Murray says adult female mosquitos emerge once it gets warmer in the spring, through a process called overwintering.“So, they come out of where they’ve been hiding, and they go and they lay eggs in little puddles of water or snow melt puddles that are formed early in the spring,” Murray says.
However, if a cold snap occurs after the initial warm days when the females lay their eggs, some of the adult mosquitoes and mosquito babies die, she says.
Will mosquito season be bad in Ontario this year?
It depends on your location and how wet the season is, Murray says.
Since April was relatively dry this year, there could have been a decrease in the number of mosquitoes that survived.
“Mosquitoes have to use stagnant fresh water to breed,” she says.
“And if there isn’t any stagnant fresh water, then they cannot breed,” Murray said.
Toronto sees an average of around 93 millimetres of rainfall every April, according to Weather API. However, only around 55 milimetres of precipitation was measured last month.
This could put a potential damper on the arrival of the bugs.
But excess rain could lead to a higher-than-normal volume of bugs, the expert says.
There are many different species of mosquitoes that inhabit an area, Murray says. They all have different mating habits and different food preferences.
“There are lots of mosquitoes, including all the males that don’t bite humans, and so you will barely see them,” she says.
“You won’t notice them, and they won’t be the ones that are attacking you.”
Meanwhile, Murray points out that mosquitoes are an integral part of the ecosystem. They serve as a source of food for birds and dragonflies. They are also pollinators.
“Completely eradicating mosquitoes is not reasonable,” she says.
Tips for dealing with these pesky insects
Since still water is the optimal breeding ground for these insects, Murray advises against leaving standing water on the property in places like tire swings, gutters, eavestroughs and bird baths.
“Some mosquito species can breed within four days,” she says.
Mosquitoes often attack humans from lower below, near the ankles. Making sure that you are covered during high mosquito times, which are during dawn and dusk, can save you from heaps of discomfort, she added.
“Light colours are often better than dark colours. Mosquitoes like dark colours,” Murray adds.
“If you think about all the ponds that we have, they are attracted to ponds that have a darker bottom than a lighter bottom. So, they do like darker colours, and they will attack in.”
Here’s a list of Health Canada-approved personal insect repellents you can choose according to your needs.
