• Local Produce
  • Buy Local
  • Local Seafood
  • Local Food
  • Local Music
  • Local Art
  • Local Churches

CAPE CHARLES MIRROR

Reflections on Cape Charles and the Eastern Shore

  • Local Services
  • Local Rentals
  • Local Employment
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
  • Pets
  • Contact Us
  • Rant and Rave
  • Asses&Villains

Heavy Rains and High Water increase breeding chances for Saltmarsh Mosquito

August 5, 2018 by Leave a Comment

Heavy rains and high water – fueled by the powerful pull of a full moon – may have pushed tides in the salt marshes high enough to reach areas where, below ground, having lain dormant for months, rest millions of eggs left behind by previous generations of the Saltmarsh mosquito.

The Saltmarsh mosquito lays its eggs in the high parts of the saltwater marshes, where, when the tides rise enough, the eggs get wet and the larvae hatch.

Image courtesy of Oakmont Environmental

The Eastern Saltmarsh Mosquito, Aedes sollicitans, was one of the first mosquitoes implicated in creating unbearable living conditions due to their nuisance biting, and one of the first species targeted in large-scale mosquito management programs.

The Eastern Saltmarsh Mosquito is found primarily along the Atlantic coast from northeastern Canada, south to Florida, and along the Gulf of Mexico to Texas. The larvae tolerate living in the saline wetlands that line the coastal shores, from dense marshes covering many square miles, to shallow pools fed by rainwater and high tides, and they can also be found inland in isolated brackish waters.

Females of this species are aggressive biters, taking blood-meals from many kinds of animals including birds, reptiles, and mammals, especially humans. The species name sollicitans is Latin, meaning “vexing” or “disturbing.” They bite aggressively day or night, and even mosquitoes that are resting in the tall grasses by day will quickly take flight once disturbed and attack anyone walking thru the area. However, the feature that makes this species especially challenging is their extremely long flight distances. From April through October (and often year-round in the southern regions), large, fierce populations of saltmarsh mosquitoes can be found more than 30 miles inland from the nearest coastal swamp, with reports of individuals as far as 100 miles from their likely larval habitats.

Filed Under: Bottom, News

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Join the Conversation!

Send letters, opinion, goings on or photos to capecharlesmirror@gmail.com

Mirrors

Recent Comments

  • Come Here To Stay on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Chuck Heffen on Giant Megalodon tooth discovered in Chesapeake Bay by 9-year-old
  • Joseph Smitten on Captain of Ever Forward gives up pilot license
  • Paul Plante on Timeline of Obama/Biden Corruption in Ukraine
  • Blue Hoss on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Stuart Bell on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Boy on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Paul Plante on Op-Ed: Madness and Insanity in a Time of Joe Biden
  • Stuart Bell on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Paul Plante on Timeline of Obama/Biden Corruption in Ukraine
  • A Come Here to stay on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Paul Plante on Biden depletes Strategic Petroleum Reserve
  • BRAND on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Paul Plante on Timeline of Obama/Biden Corruption in Ukraine
  • Stuart Bell on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • BRAND on Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Paul Plante on Timeline of Obama/Biden Corruption in Ukraine
  • Paul Plante on Timeline of Obama/Biden Corruption in Ukraine
  • Paul Plante on Op-Ed: Biden’s GREEN Body Count 
  • Don Green on Untangling the Mystery of the Little Farm: Part 1

Trending Now

  • Has Real Estate Investment Ruined the Shore?
  • Untangling the Mystery of the Little Farm: Part 1
  • Special Meeting: Banning Short-Term Rentals
  • Follow the Money: Influence of the National Association of Realtors
  • Northampton County Public Schools Names New Superintendent
  • Trash: Leftists Celebrate Ryan Newman Crash Because He Supported Trump
  • Op-Ed: Compare George Orwell's 1984 to Society Today
  • RFI: Who wants to Lease or Buy the Eastville Inn?
  • Timeline of Obama/Biden Corruption in Ukraine
  • Giant Megalodon tooth discovered in Chesapeake Bay by 9-year-old

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...