Should You Treat for Mosquitoes in the Fall?

Should You Treat for Mosquitoes in the Fall?

So, should you treat for mosquitoes in the fall? I am looking out my window as I write this, watching Berger Hargis apply a mosquito treatment. Yes, mosquito treatment on September 9th. But is not that a little late in the year?

No, because my first treatment was late spring, and there is good reason to do it again early fall. It is not only that, due to flooding in central Indiana, the mosquitoes are swarming, but it is just a good idea any year, flooding or not.

What the Experts Say

"Indiana saw record amounts of rainfall in August, resulting in flooding across the state. These rain events and flooding, along with a warm start to September, have created the perfect storm of conditions for a large boom in mosquito populations. Although flooding itself may temporarily wash away some mosquito larvae, the standing water left behind as floodwaters recede can provide abundant new breeding habitat. Mosquitoes do not just disappear when summer ends -- they can remain active well into September, October, and even November." -- Purdue Extension (purdue.edu/fnr/extension)

Cold Weather Does Not Kill All Mosquitoes

Most mosquitoes die when temperatures drop below about 50 degrees F. However, some enter diapause -- a hibernation for insects. Others hide anywhere warm, like your basement or crawlspace. Even storm drains can be warm enough to lay winter-hardy eggs that hatch in hoards in the spring.

Here in central Indiana it does not always get cold in early fall. The average is a high of 78 and a low of 57 (National Weather Service). It often does not sink below 50 until October, if then. The longer it stays wet, humid, and mild, the longer the mosquitoes bite and the more they reproduce.

The reproduction cycle for mosquitoes from egg to adult can be as short as 7 days, and one female can spawn from 1 to 3 thousand offspring.

What is the Buzz?

I do not know about you, but I love being outdoors in the fall. I lounge in my backyard, which adjoins a small wooded hill, cook over my wood fire, hike Eagle Creek, and spend time walking Speedway parks. All of which make me a buzz target.

Another consideration is that fall treatment shrinks overwintering mosquitoes, so there are fewer biting ear-buzzing bugs in spring!

The Bottom Line

Early Autumn mosquito treatments are effective. They not only fight the buzz in the fall but decrease spring mosquito populations. If you would like to take the bite out of mosquitoes this fall, Berger Hargis can help.