Start slapping: How to avoid becoming a mosquito buffet this season

Summer is on its way and people are already buzzing about upcoming barbecues and trips to the beach.

Something else is also buzzing — pesky, blood-sucking mosquitoes. 

"The number I'm swatting is really remarkably high this spring," said Stephen Heard, a biology professor at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

Although he doesn't have any official figures, Heard said he knows the number of mosquitoes has increased based on the wet weather over the past few weeks — and the number of bites on his body.

"This year's particularly bad."

Life cycle of a mosquito

The mosquito's life cycle has four stages.

First the egg and then the larva, found in standing water such as puddles, ponds, bird baths and eavestroughs. During this stage, larvae will come up to the water's surface to breathe.

Then there's the pupa stage, which is considered the resting and non-feeding stage of development, when mosquitoes  are in the process of changing into an adult.

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Then mosquitoes evolve into the adult phase, which is when they fly around, feed and try to avoid swats. 

Heard said it's the larval phase that's most concerning because mosquitoes will live in the water for several weeks "accumulating resources to become an adult and harass us."

This spring has been really, really wet," he said. "Then all those puddles and ponds are full."

But as temperatures start to heat up, mosquito season won't be as bad.

"It's also complicated because we don't know what the weather's going to be like next week or the week after," he said. "But it's already a little less wet than it was a few weeks ago."

Savouring 'a blood meal'

In New Brunswick, there are 24 mosquito species. Some species will only bite birds, some only mammals, and some will feed on both.

Only female mosquitoes need a "a blood meal," a means of getting the protein they need to lay their eggs.

One female mosquito lays about 600 eggs during a lifespan of about 48 days.

Three days after mating, a mosquito will lay a clutch of about 200 eggs and she'll do that about three times during her lifespan.

The pitcher plant mosquito, also known as the Wyeomyia smithii, is also found in New Brunswick and doesn't bite at all.

Heard said there are ways to reduce mosquito exposure, such as avoiding going out at dusk or dawn and wearing insect repellent.

How to prevent mosquito spread 

Since they aren't strong flyers, mosquitoes aren't typically found in breezier weather.

Mosquitoes are also attracted to dark colours so people should dress in white or beige or other light colours.  

Steps to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs include getting rid of standing water on your property, cleaning eavestroughs and replacing the water in bird baths with fresh clean water.