Winter Mosquitos?

I’m on mosquito #2 of the day here; until today, for the past months, I experienced almost none.

Is this the winter reality of (at least southern) Taiwan?

I don’t think we’ve had any day cold enough to eliminate the mosquitos in Taipei. It’s T-shirt and shorts weather again today (70 (21)degrees). It hasn’t dropped below 60 (15) degrees but maybe for a couple of times at night. My kids have gotten mosquito bites virtually every time they hit a soccer field despite the liberal use of mosquito spray. If this is winter in Taiwan, I don’t see the mosquitos going anywhere. For best effects we need some time below 50 (10) degrees and an extended period where the temperate doesn’t get above 60.

Winter in Southern Taiwan is a meme.
Not that in the North we get swarms of penguins flying around, but dropping in the low 10s tends to get rid of most mozzies for a while.
Yesterday we had a sunny afternoon, baby mosquitoes were flying around above rice fields and swallows were having a free all-you-can-eat.

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There’s less mosquitoes alive in the early part of winter, but the ones that do survive are the meanest bastards. They’re hungry, desperate and more aggressive.

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I got few bites from those female one and last night I thought I was listening to violin and it was mosquitos.

Absoulutely, I’m getting so pissed off, all summer in shorts bare feet the odd bite not to bothering, now Im wearing jeans, socks long shirt sleeves around the apartment. 2 bites a day and painful!
Last week 2 on top of each ear :rage: :rage:

During the day I’m happy to play a bit of mosquito tennis around the flat. But nights are really bugging me, pun intended. I have been finding up to a dozen a night inside the apartment. Fly screens largely intact, sorta kinda, a couple of cracks here and there, on the 3rd floor. If landlord renews our lease am considering ripping out all the windows and replacing with some quality windows. HAve already done this with the flyscreens, but no joy. Anyone completely renewed their windows? Can’t see any other way to defeat them… not a fan of toxic nerve gas in the air at night emitted by those plugin whatsies, and toxic flower bundles masquerading as natural solutions do not appeal either.

#jihadonmosquitoes

I actually killed a mosquito in my apartment yesterday. First one I’ve seen in my home in months. I think they worm their way in in search of warmth?

Cold weather in Taipei does not mean no mosquitos. Those buggers know how to hide!

I got bit the on Wednesday in my bathroom. Eventually killed the mosquito on Saturday in the same place.

Your own windows are not the sole point of entry for mosquitos. If you have neighbors on your floor then the state of their windows comes into play.

Mosquitos are attracted to carbon dioxide. When the temps fall they are desperate, and when you sleep the air around you becomes a sink of CO2, relatively speaking. When temps are low the air by definition is less active on a molecular level. CO2 sinks like bedrooms are more easily identified by mosquitos. They desperately search for ways under your front door (or by any means possible) and buzz on over to that sweet sweet carbon dioxide. Hence bites increase, seemingly paradoxically.

I experimented with shutting all the windows up at night that have cracks, but I think I got more mosquitoes that night than ever. On the contrary when I’m carefree and just have all the windows open, ones with cracks in the fly screen and all, I might get away with only one or two. Perhaps the slight draft is offputting for them.

So I think they have some sort of two point invasion strategy, they seem to come in during the day and lay dormant somewhere, then make their way into the bedrooms at night, or under the door as you say.

Does anybody know how long they live for?

I believe it’s only the female ones who bite.

Here is the reality: In Taiwan mosquitoes go all year round except for when it’s really dry for a longer period. A few days after rain starts they’ll pop-up.

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They don’t bite, they sting and suck. They come in taking the elevator or stairway, than sit down on the nice dark colored door of your apartment and get sucked in when you open it.

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If it seems like you always have one or two, and you don’t live right by a mountain, I wouldn’t negate the possibility of them spawning in your home. I always seemed to have at least one or two mosquitos in my house all the time last year and couldn’t figure out why. Then…I found mosquito eggs in the little tray on the bottom of my dish drying rack that collects the water that drips down from the dishes. Revolting. I removed the tray entirely, thereby eliminating the only constant source of standing water in my house, and the mosquitos have since completely disappeared save the odd one that ventures in through the front door from time to time.

Check your bathroom and kitchen. Maybe there’s a leak under the sink you don’t know about, or by your washing machine. Even the smallest undisturbed puddle is ideal for them.

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German summer is like winter in Taipei. Mosquitoes are very aggressive in Germany

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I use one of the big UV light things you see in shops or in the office. Any mosquito’s venture into the apartment i just turn it on for a bit until they are all fried, if i’m feeling in a sporty mood i will take to hunting them with the racket.

If we go to the farm in the deep deep south it’s a must have, all sorts of biting stinging things like to come in out of the cold (they think it’s cold mot me).

Watch out for the little biting gnats, they are microscopic but if you get bitten twice on the same limb, you will consider removing that limb with a rusty saw.

Most mosquitoes only feed from about 5:30 AM to about 8:00 AM and from about 4:00 PM to about 7:00 PM except for some species, think the ones that spread dengue, the striped tiger mosquitoes.

Odd article:
" People in a southern Taiwanese city have been offered prizes for catching mosquitoes.

The contest, announced by the Kaohsiung city health department, is aimed at tackling an outbreak of the mosquito-borne dengue fever in the region. Residents are being asked to catch as many mosquitoes as they can, dead or alive. Whoever captures - or squashes - the greatest number will be rewarded with NT$3,000 (US$100; £62), the health department says. Runners-up will be given free insect repellent and mosquito nets"

Add body odor and CO2 to the mix and you’ll catch them all.

Have to leave some for the other players :wink: