Mosquitoes Are 500% More Active During Full Moon? - Here's When They Are Most Active!

Hanima Anand|Dec 15, 2020

Mosquitoes are not only annoying but also perilous. Knowing when mosquitoes are most active during day and night is useful to protect yourself and family.

Mosquitoes are definitely a nuisance for their itching bites which can keep you awake all night. More than that, they are also the disease-spreaders for malaria, dengue, or Japanese B encephalitis. That’s why you should take it seriously to avoid this perilous pest.

Most mosquitoes avoid daylight but remain active in certain areas.

What time are mosquitoes most active?

To have a proper prevention strategy, let’s answer when mosquitoes are most active so that you know when to be extra cautious.

  • During the day

A mosquito bite during the day is not as annoying as at night but the risk remains the same. In fact, mosquitoes are not highly active during daylight hours because they may quickly become dehydrated.

However, this means that the prime locations for mosquitoes’ protection such as shaded wetlands or wooden areas will witness a high density of their population during the day.

Shaded areas are favorite spots of mosquitoes, either at day or night.

Should you leave near these places, you must be careful 24/7. It’s best if you can call mosquitoes control services to take care of these hideouts.

  • At night

Here come the most active hours of mosquitoes. Scientists found that mosquitoes increase their activities during the dawn and dusk hours.

These pests are most active at dawn or dusk in dim light.

Not the mid-night but the moment light has almost gone that sees mosquitoes most active. That’s why you should avoid going out at this time. In case you have to, wear long-sleeves and trousers to avoid annoying bites.

Also, you shouldn’t stay near shaded places during these hours as these are favorite spots of mosquitoes.

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  • Mosquito season

There’s no specific mosquito season around the year, but there’re some periods that witness higher populations of mosquitoes active. This is due to the temperature to be exact.

Mosquitoes love warm weather. They would become most active when the temperature reaches 29 degrees Celsius or above.

When it enters winter and the temperature drops, some breeds of mosquitoes will die off while some hibernate. After the hibernation time, mosquito eggs will hatch, leading to a boom of mosquitoes in the warm season.

Mosquitoes become more active during Full Moon

Sounds scary? Actually, there’s no superstitious link to this fact but scientists haven’t found an exact explanation for this phenomenon yet.

Another mystery that relates to the full moon, a five-time increase in mosquitoes' activities

Researchers found that mosquito activities increase up to 500% during a full moon. Therefore, whenever you see a full moon, remember to apply mosquito prevention methods as well.

More facts about mosquitoes

Besides what time are mosquitoes most active, there are some facts you might not know about this pest. Here are the most interesting ones!

  1. Mosquitoes have come to existence since the dinosaur era. This means they have inhabited the Earth for around 400 million years, much longer than human beings.
  2. They love humid areas but they love still water the most where their larvae could feed.
  3. These pests are specially attracted to dark colours. You may try putting on bright clothes to keep mosquitoes away.
  4. Mosquitoes’ feeding time is at dawn or dusk. They are biologically coded to bite you during these times.
  5. They also target people who just exercised more, because they are attracted to heat and lactic acid.
  6. The bigger your body is, the higher chances you experience a bite, as you produce more lactic acid and CO2.

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