With Michigan’s recent warm weather, it is likely you’ve already seen mosquitoes flying around. While these insects becoming increasingly active as the season progresses, there are ways to keep them away from your house.
“Their development is really driven by heat and another important factor for them is to have standing water,” said Sarah Hughson, an insect and arthropod diagnostician at Michigan State University. “So, if we have more rain, we’re going to have more standing water that is a breeding site for them.”
Michiganders can’t control the spring weather, but they can begin removing potential breeding sites, which is the main preventative measure.
Water can build and sit in old tires, wheelbarrows, dog bowls and more. Emptying these vessels in springtime gives homeowners a leg up on limiting mosquito breeding.
“Yeah, any time we have rain, it’s good to go out and check and see if you have any of those standing water sources in the yard and correct those,” Hughson said.
Along with source reduction, there are other helpful methods to repelling mosquitoes in Michigan:
Will mosquitoes be bad in Michigan in 2025?
Hot, wet and humid weather are favorable conditions for mosquitos to flourish, Hughson said. A warm spring allows mosquitoes to come out and begin multiplying before their peak season in summer.
At 50 degrees and above, mosquitoes become active and emerge from their hiding or wintering places (particularly tight crevices such as bark or leaf litter). If temperatures drop again, they go dormant to endure the cold.
“These pests start showing up as early as April, and by the time July and August roll around, the heat and humidity kick their activity into high gear,” Pest Pros of Michigan said online. “Warmer weather helps larvae grow faster in standing water, and if the warm-up comes early, you’ll start noticing them sooner —and in bigger numbers.”
In what ways can I repel mosquitoes?
To get a jump on limiting the number of mosquitoes buzzing around, here are recommendations to try from Hughson and the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
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DEET (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) which is the active ingredient in many repellent products.
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Picaridin (alternative to DEET)
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Oil of lemon eucalyptus – oil derived from a plant
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Wearing light-colored and loose long sleeve shirts and long plants
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Run a fan outdoors (patio, porch, any outdoor eating area) to get mosquitoes caught in wind currents
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Place mosquito dunks, discs that slowly dissolve and release a bacterium which is toxic to all species of mosquito larvae, in standing water
The best way to repel mosquitoes is removing breeding sites near you. Here are some common sources according to American Pest:
Emptying these vessels after it rains in the spring and summer months will eliminate potential breeding sites.
What diseases do mosquitoes carry?
In 2024, Michigan’s Agriculture and Rural Development reported the state’s first case of West Nile Virus in a domestic animal (an unvaccinated horse) from Eaton County.
“This detection highlights the importance for Michiganders to continue taking precautions to protect their animals and themselves from mosquito bites,” the 2024 release said.
In addition to the West Nile Virus, here are other diseases mosquitoes can carry and spread:
Contact Sarah Moore @ [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: How bad will mosquitoes be in 2025 in Michigan?
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