I keep running into interesting bugs to write about, especially the bugs in the garden that are killing our squash plants and messing with my tomatoes! This week, the bugs have been attacking me! I spent the weekend scratching chigger bites on my ankles, and I could not spend time in the backyard without mosquitos coming after me. It is almost enough to make this outdoors-loving gardener stay inside!
Mosquitos are a pesky problem in the warm months in Texas. The bite can itch, but mosquitos can also carry diseases that affect humans. Fortunately, there are several steps we can take to protect ourselves
from bites and prevent our yards from becoming breeding zones.
Eighty-five species of mosquitos have been identified in the State of Texas. Mosquitos lay their eggs in a variety of places, depending on their species. Some lay eggs separately, others in a tiny floating raft of eggs in water. Eggs can hatch in one to two days, and the larvae spend time floating in water and eating. You can see mosquito larvae wriggling in the water, and this life stage lasts for one to three weeks.
Mosquito larvae transition into pupae that continue to live in the water with tiny breathing tubes attached to their head. The pupae do not feed but can still move around in the water. Adult mosquitos emerge from the pupae, and after a short rest the female mosquitoes go on the hunt for their first blood meal. Mosquitos spend most of the daylight hours resting in vegetation or shady areas and feed in the evening and mornings. Some mosquitoes feed during the day.
Mosquitos spend a lot of their life cycle in the water, so one good way to reduce the numbers in your yard is to pour out any potential breeding sites. Check for buckets, toys, gutters, potted plant saucers, or anything that can hold water. Any standing water can turn into a mosquito nursery, so take a walk through your yard after rain to pour them out.
I like to keep a bird bath in my yard to help out the wildlife. We enjoy watching the birds come for a drink every morning. Bird baths can collect a lot of organic matter and bacteria that are good food for mosquitos. Clean out bird baths at least once a week, and you can also use a mosquito dunk with larvicide. Insecticide donuts with Bt are safe to use in water with fish or around pets.
We can only do so much to reduce mosquito numbers, so take steps to protect yourself from bites. Use an EPA-approved repellant and wear longs sleeves and pants when outside.
For more information about trees or other lawn and garden topics, contact County Extension Horticulturist Kate Whitney-Hajda at the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.
