Will Texas Be Home To A New Mosquito Plague?

I heard a term over the weekend that really opened up my eyes.

A "New" Pest

I was talking to my mother over the weekend and she mentioned that right now California is under attack from "ankle-biter mosquitos". I thought, "No way that's a real thing" but it very much is. These are Asian Tiger Mosquitos and they a a real menace. They are called "ankle-biters" because they tend to hover (and bite) lower to the ground but they really have no problem biting you anywhere.

Looks That Kill

These particular kinds of mosquitos are black and white and can carry all kinds of diseases including West Nile, Zika, and more. But wait, you haven't heard the worst part yet. Are you ready? These mosquitos like to bite all day long (unlike other mosquitos which prefer dusk and dawn) and frequently love to take multiple bites. Lastly, even though long pants and long sleeves are a deterrent, the mosquitos can easily bite through tight fitting clothes.

Honorary Texans

The Asian Tiger mosquito breed was first detected in Texas in 1985, they are just not the dominant species and in fact, rank #6 overall. Chances are if you are bit in Texas, it's an "Upland Flood Water Mosquito" which is actually not just number one in Texas, but number one in the world. Still, with the recent surge in the Asian Tiger Mosquito in California, it's only logical to think that we might see a larger invasion some time in the future.

How You Can Help

It would be great if you could swat or spray all day long for your fellow Texans, but preventing the mosquitos from hatching is much easier than that. All you have to do is try to disrupt any standing water that you see. It only takes about a teaspoon of water for some mosquitos to breed, so empty anything you see with standing water. Even a kick of an old tire could be enough to make some mosquito eggs sink.