Posts tagged: water

Asian Tiger Mosquito Facts

There are many

Asian Tiger Mosquito Facts

that are interesting.  The life of a Asian Tiger Mosquito has four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Larva and pupa are always found in water. Like other mosquitoes, the female Asian Tiger Mosquito needs blood to produce eggs. The Tiger Mosquito will bite many types of animals, including people. It likes to bite in the daytime, mostly in early morning or late afternoon. It depends on who you ask if the bite is the same or worse than that of other mosquitoes, but large numbers of Asian Tiger Mosquitoes can be a problem around home or at work.

The Asian Tiger Mosquito lays its eggs inside containers that will hold water. These can be man-made containers such as tires, tin cans, buckets, bird baths, and clogged gutters, or they can be natural containers such as holes in trees or rocks and the list goes on. The Asian Tiger Mosquito can be a problem around homes or in the woods because of many places it can breed. Eggs are not harmed by dry or cold weather. When flooded with water during summer, the eggs hatch. Even in a small container there can be hundreds of larvae. Depending on where you live they can seen anywhere from May through October with peeks during the summer.

Many wonder if spray trucks useful against the Tiger Mosquito.  Mosquito spray trucks or Ultra Low Volume (ULV) cold foggers are designed to work in the evenings when temperatures are cooler.  The Asian Tiger Mosquito prefers to fly during daylight hours.  Ultimately the best control strategy to battle the Asian Tiger Mosquito is to use what is referred to as ‘Tip and Toss’ all the containers holding water around the house.  Removing the Larva can dramatically reduce the adult Asian Tiger Mosquito population around the house.

Other Interesting Facts

  • One Asian Tiger Mosquito can bite up to ten times trying to complete its hunt for a blood meal.
  • There are at least 45 (known) different types of mosquitoes.
  • Rooting house plants inside can produce Asian Tiger Mosquito larval habitat inside your house.
  • One female mosquito can lay up to 500 eggs in its lifetime.
  • The average life expectancy of an adult mosquito is about 3 weeks.
  • Some mosquitoes can have as many as 12 generations per year.

However, the chemicals that were once used to control all types of mosquitoes are now banned in many countries.   The most effective was DDT – while it eliminated mosquitoes it was harmful to the environment and the people in it.  The Asian Tiger Mosquito Facts will be helpful if you happen to see or hear about them

Asian Tiger Mosquito Invasive Species

A native of Southeast the

Asian Tiger Mosquito Invasive Species

coined its name due to their distant spots and white stripes is spreading throughout the world and is has been a health concern in Europe. They have been traveling in used tires throughout the world leaving the most ideal means of reproduction throughout the world.

In fact, this case is but another example of the problems caused by Asian tiger mosquito invasive species .  It is also an example of the madness that makes us move products from place to place on the planet without any control and foresight, our modern society is leading to business objectives so anxious that they are never able to look beyond of immediate profit, usually has consequences, sometimes surprising, often unpredictable, in many areas.  Ecological consequences original destabilizing ecosystems, causing serious economic issues, health concerns transmitting disease to humans or pets.  This little insect, whose natural habitat is the rainforests of Asia, has a characteristic appearance and a painful bite that swells and persists much longer than native mosquitoes that cause.  Unlike others, the Asian tiger mosquito is diurnal and is extremely aggressive with our species and can do a single attack or in small groups.

Once introduced into an area, is able to carry forward their progeny in any area containing standing water, however small in size. Thus, deposits its eggs in the water in cans and abandoned household containers, tires, water troughs, temporary ponds, and the list goes on. In fact, even the lack of water or cold are serious obstacles to this species, because the eggs resist desiccation and can withstand dormant months (in a state of diapause). Each female lays between 40 and 80 eggs. These insects can complete a generation between ten and twenty days if the temperature is benevolent. As already mentioned, this quite simply represents a new case of invasion by a foreign species. Unfortunately, these cases are increasingly common due to human transport, this time unintended, although not always the case. More and more plant and animal species introduced for hunting, for exploitation in the fur industry or food for ornamental purposes or simply as pets, regardless of the often catastrophic consequences that occur on native ecosystems when are released or escape and become acclimated.

The first individuals of the pernicious mosquito were found on the European continent of Albania, in 1979, from China. They are currently distributed throughout the Balkans, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France and Spain. In the rest of the world they are advancing steadily and quickly: they have arrived in North America (so far up to 26 U.S. states), Mexico, all of Central America, South America (Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina ) and the Middle East (Israel).

At the moment, in the strictest logic this new potential mosquito transmitter is only transmitting the same diseases as the local mosquitoes. But the mere mention of some tropical diseases transmitted in their places of origin: dengue, yellow fever or encephalitis, make your hair stand on end and can cause panic.

If it is true that in Europe the risk of transmission to humans of the mentioned diseases is minimal, not having been a case so far, it is nevertheless also transmitted viral diseases of animals, because man is not the only host. And is that the mosquito is so adapted to survive in any medium, which not only bites mammals, but also makes birds, reptiles and even amphibians.

These studies also indicate that the Asian tiger mosquito invasive species is a perfect ecosystem in the housing, as it has plenty of gardens and the insect takes every container of water left to die, to reproduce, not to speak of paradise for this mosquito is any ornamental pond or fountain. A simple toy, ashtray or any bucket, vase or pot dish on which rain falls or irrigation, offers an opportunity not to miss this troublesome invasive species. A species that is becoming a paradigm of what has been called globalization and biodiversity.

Asian Tiger Mosquito Habitat

For the

Asian Tiger Mosquito Habitat

(Aedes albopictus) it is more tropical for this exotic species native to Asia with its distinctive long legs and spotted and stripped body will usually produce some 40-80 eggs, which take several weeks to reach the adult stage. Egg-laying usually takes place in containers with water, such as rainwater and thrive in areas with abundant water. Like the common mosquito that bites humans, but unlike the latter only their day-night hiding in the vegetation, and its sting is able to penetrate the clothing.

These Diptera rarely fly beyond 300-500 feet, so it is speculated that the Asian Tiger Mosquito enters countries via the international transport of used tires, an ideal medium for this insect while also they also collect decaying plant matter and water.

In general, all mosquitoes need water to survive, because the first three phases of development carried out in the water and only the last (adult) in the air. In the case of the Asian tiger mosquito habitat is the Asian rainforests.

Currently the presence of the Asian tiger mosquito is found in rural and urban areas, both in public and in homes. In urban areas where one can easily proliferate vases from cemeteries in a pot where rain falls, a fountain, a pond etc.

On the one hand their bite is one of the things that makes this mosquito because they are more lasting and painful, and can cause great inflammation, which can sometimes trigger allergic reactions. Moreover, and herein lies the main danger of the Asian tiger mosquito may be the vector transmitting diseases (dengue and yellow fever). So far, this risk is theoretical, but no longer present.

The timing of this mosquito activity extends from May to November, and its further expansion in September, at which time complete their life cycle in just 10 days.

To exterminate this insect have several therapeutic tools, including the metallic copper and a bacterium (Bacillus thurigensis). Among the most basic recommendations to end this, is to cover ponds and water tanks cover with mosquito nets and regularly empty containers filled with water and also plug the holes in trees where they store. Careful use of pesticides especially DEET (which has been banned in many counties), since this will not solve the problem and will create new ones.

Nevertheless, because of the Asian tiger mosquito habitat they are spreading extremely rapidly because it has a high adaptability to the point that even the lack of water or cold can end their existence, as the eggs are able to withstand desiccation.