It may be the only upside of a heatwave: mosquitoes become more discreet. Less buzzing, fewer bites, fewer attacks when you’re trying to sleep… and it is not just your imagination. When the heat becomes extreme, these little vampires also switch into survival mode.
A mosquito is a bit like you and me: this very annoying insect likes warmth, but not a furnace. Its comfort zone is around 25°C. Once temperatures climb well above 30°C, its tiny body starts to suffer.
At 35°C and above, especially in dry air, it dehydrates very quickly. Just like us.
They do not disappear, they hide
During extreme heat, mosquitoes do not all die at once. But they do go out much less. They fly less, look for prey less often, and prefer to hide in cool, damp, shaded places.
In other words, they take shelter like we do. Except for them, it is a matter of survival: too much heat, too much dry air, and their bodies lose water fast. As a result, their activity drops — and so do their chances of survival.
For the female tiger mosquito, the impact can be brutal. In good conditions, she can live for several weeks. During a heatwave, her life expectancy can collapse to just a few days. Sometimes, she does not even have time to bite or lay eggs.
Still, heat does not always mean relief. If the air remains very humid, mosquitoes cope better. And as soon as temperatures become bearable again, they can return very quickly. A heatwave slows them down, but it does not wipe them out.
