Like a ruthless divorce, males get the raw deal while females 'dipause' to find another sucker, and breed again.
"Why is anything around less during the winter? Because of chilly temperatures. Mosquitoes are no exception. “Mosquitoes are cold-blooded insects, meaning that they don’t like the cold and prefer temperatures that are [a] balmy 80 degrees Fahrenheit or more,” explains Kristiana Kripena, Digital and Content Marketing Director of InsectCop.net. When the temperature drops, they actually lose their ability to fly and become inert.
Where do they go?
Unlike birds, mosquitoes don’t fly south for the winter in droves. (That’s a terrifying thought!) They would never be able to fly far enough. The actual answer to the question “where do mosquitoes go in the winter” is different for male and female mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes? They die. But that’s not specifically because of the cold. Male mosquitoes have far shorter lifespans than females, and they die in the fall, after mating, anyway.
Female mosquitoes, though, can live through the winter. And how do they do that? They hibernate. Female mosquitoes’ brand of hibernating is known as “dipause.” In the fall, the females will burrow into hollow logs or cracks in the ground and enter this stasis. “They can hibernate for up to six months in freezing or waterless conditions,” says Jayme Bella, founder and CEO of organic producer of outdoor and household products Greenerways Organic. “They delay their development, typically for months, and carry on with life only when there is enough water or warmth for their needs.”
When it warms up again, the females will emerge from hibernation, during springtime—and now it’s time to start collecting blood. At this point, they’re getting ready to lay their eggs and they need as much blood as possible to help the eggs develop. “The female must find a blood meal to provide the protein needed by her eggs to develop,” Bella says. “Just in the time, when humans are outdoors in short sleeves enjoying the warming weather.” So, yup, it’s only the female mosquitoes that are biting you. Here are some more facts about mosquitoes that these buggers don’t want you to know."
When does it get too cold for them?
