Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes Albopictus |
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Noticed anything new in the air lately? A high-pitched buzzing? Perhaps a six-legged, winged creature with a long proboscis out of the corner of your eye? The time of the mosquito is upon us. I received my first mosquito bite of the year the other day while innocently drinking my tea by the garden. I didn’t notice any stripes, but as the Asian tiger mosquito is now a well-established Maryland resident, I expect to see them soon.
Discovered in Maryland in 1987, the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is an exotic species introduced to North America from Asia. Unlike the native Maryland mosquito, the Asian tiger is an extremely efficient carrier of viral disease. In 2001, tiger mosquitoes collected in Maryland tested positive for West Nile virus, a virus that mainly infects birds but can also infect humans and may result in flu-like symptoms or swelling of the brain. Only female mosquitoes bite, utilizing blood for egg development. Mosquitoes get most of their energy from flower nectar.
The best way to avoid mosquito bites is to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds. Tiger mosquitoes like to lay their eggs in pools of still water, especially in used tires. (Tires imported to Houston, Texas from Japan in 1985 may have brought tiger mosquitoes to the United States.) Here are some ways we can all work to reduce the number of mosquitoes we see this summer and the next:
Fight the bite!
