What has stripes, has origins in Southern Asia, lives off blood, and can be a big fat biting pain in the butt year round and during all daylight hours? The super-popular carnivorous Asian zebra? The blood-sucking Japanese bumblebee? A rabid, blood-thirsty Eastern skunk? So close…yet so far away. It’s the Asian Tiger Mosquito, silly. Didn’t you read the title of this blog???
Anyhoo, Asian tiger mosquitoes are a real thing, not just some fictional pest made up by this bug blogger to keep you entertained. They are originally from Asia (shocking, I know!) but made their way to the good old U.S. of A in the 1980’s. I guess they didn’t want to miss out on the big hair and shoulder pad trend we had going on here. Bon Jovi forever!
Asian Tiger Mosquito Identification:
Oh, wait, where was I? Oh yeah, Asian tiger mosquitoes. Asian tiger mosquitoes measure less than 10 millimeters long and are black with silvery white markings. The silvery white parts make up the stripes, hence the “tiger” part of its name. They can be identified by the single silver-white stripe that runs from its head down the center of its back and the black and silver stripes on their scrawny, thread-like legs.
Besides rocking the stripes, these mosquitoes are unique in that they also feed during the daylight hours unlike their other mosquito peeps that only get their grub on at dusk and dawn. If the area where you live is a warmer region, watch out because these bad boys will be enjoying that warm weather with you all year long. Cooler climates get a winter reprieve.
Asian Tiger Mosquito Lifecycle:
Like other mosquito species, females require a blood meal to produce all those eggs that carry the next generation of Asian mosquito babies. This is where things get crazy. One Asian tiger mosquito mama can lay up to 500 eggs in her lifetime, which according to my superior math skills means that it won’t be long before there are a crap ton of these mosquitoes flying about. Mamas lay their eggs inside anything that can hold at least a half inch of stagnant water, including tree holes, plants that have collected water, flowerpots, toys that your kids left in the backyard, birdbaths, the wheelbarrow that you have yet to put away, and even clogged drains. Here’s the rule of thumb, if it can hold ½ inch of water, well, welcome to the future site of the Asian tiger mosquito birthing center. Cigars for everyone!
How To Get Rid of Asian Tiger Mosquitoes?
So, what can you do to get rid of these striped biting blood suckers? You know I’m not going to leave you hanging, my lovelies! Read on!
- First and foremost, remember the rule of thumb: If it can hold ½ inch of stagnant water, it can hold a crap ton of mosquito eggs. Regularly check your yard, patio, and outdoor areas to make sure there is nothing that could hold an accumulation of water. Don’t overlook small items like cups and yard ornaments and decorations.
- If you have a decorative fountain or a small, ornamental pond, consider adding goldfish. They love a good mosquito larvae buffet and would happily take care of this problem for you.
- Keep outdoor areas clean. Proper maintenance and cleanliness of gardens, patios, balconies, drains, drainage systems, etc. will help keep Asian tiger mosquitoes away.
- To keep these mosquitoes from making their way into your home, make sure the screens on your windows and doors are working properly with no Asian tiger mosquito-sized gaps in them.
Finally, trust the professionals at HowToPest.com to provide the products that you need to keep your yard, home, and body safe from Asian tiger mosquitoes. Our recommended mosquito products can be found HERE. If you are unsure, give us a jingle or shoot us a message. We’ve got you.
