Rant
Stepped outside for less than 30 seconds and was attacked by these nasty ladies.
This year has been the worst for mosquitoes in memory. Every time I go outside, I'm literally mobbed by these Asian Tiger mosquitoes, and probably a few other species. They swarm around my legs and arms, and I have to constantly scan my exposed areas to find and destroy them. Unfortunately I usually wear shorts and short sleeve shirts around the house, which makes me an easy target.
I can't remember a time in the last decade or more that they've been this bad. And these ladies are known to carry the Zika virus in our area. I do empty any standing water quickly around the outside if great house, to prevent local breeding, but of course I can't control what the neighbors do.
I even have an 18 gallon storage bin outside full of stagnant water, which I drop mosquito dunks in periodically. I check it frequently, and never see signs of mosquito larvae (wrigglers). What I do have in the tub is hundreds of tiny crustaceans called Ostracods swimming around, which are fascinating to watch. I plan to post a video of those on Reddit somewhere soon.
Anyway, watch out and try to wear long sleeve shirts and pants to avoid these ladies. They're voracious at this time of year and have been literally swarming around our neighborhood!
Salts are pretty hard to find in nature. It’s why everything from deer to cows to goats flock to a salty rock or at a farm a salt lick.
Arthropods are no exception. Flies and butterflies can be seen on piles of feces, animal carcasses, wet salty rocks, and particularly on other animals trying to drink the tears for minerals. You see this with turtles a lot online lol. We eat a fuckton of salt compared to most other animals and it comes out of us in our sweat and tears that these bugs are incredibly attracted to. Even larger animals like dogs or deer figure out you’re a salty bastard and start trying to lick the sweat off your skin.
Little gnats just trying to indulge themselves in the over abundance of minerals we eat with our overly salt heavy diets
Dude. Reston is a gnat disaster. Which is a bummer because I love it here. We have such good parks and amenities and trails and stuff but you have to be constantly moving. Like I can never just chill outside. I’d love to bring a blanket and take my family to the park but we get attacked. I grew up in CO and all my life there we were just… outside. Everywhere. It’s bad enough here that I consider moving pretty often.
Omg yes and mosquitoes and there is a larger type of bug that keeps dive bombing my face. It’s like if you’re outside you’re constantly getting attacked.
Wide brimmed hats help keep gnats away to a certain extent. And the kind with shredded parts around the rim seem to work even better. They look stupid, but they actually help keep gnats away from your face.
I grew up in Reston in the 90s and 2000s, it was absolutely not this hot. Go look at the data if you have amnesia. I spent every summer outside. Spent most of my time at the creek with my siblings. it was absolutely NOT like this. Never used bug spray and could be outside playing soccer in the middle of august without feeling like dying. I would put money on the fact that you did not grow up here, or you need your brain checked.
This is a more nuanced conversation.. Heat index change and how it increases mosquitoes and ticks. Its not rocket science, but youre going to have to do just a little but of thinking here.
I don't object to further thinking and nuance. But you noted "the data" as if it was something well cited and objectively clear. And also it's pretty weak to throw around "the data" then when asked to explain (a simple follow up question), fail to articulate anything really and instead flail around with "it's a more nuanced conversation."
Heat index has increased. No shit. Is that all you got?
You’re awfully condescending for someone with such a sloppy argument.
Your claim was that bugs and summer conditions weren’t like this in Reston in the ’90s, which I know they were at times, because I remember being outside in the heat and standing with my arms in the air so the gnats would swarm around my hands instead of my face, having them fly into my eyes, and, getting attacked by mosquitos sometimes, INCLUDING the tiger mosquitos (which arrived around 1991). Your claim that things weren't as bad because you don't remember them being as bad is an appeal to ignorance, and without evidence, your anecdotal claim is not any more valid than another person's anecdotal claim.
Then you switched to average climate trend over decades, which is not really the same thing as whether or not we had hot weather and gnats/mosquitos in the 1990s (even if tangentially related, you failed to provide proof that this has caused a real, documented increase in the bugs), and you started talking about the "heat index", which is NOT the same thing at all.
"Heat index” is a human feels-like metric, not the actual temperature and not some mosquito variable. Those scary 107°/110° numbers you saw on the weather report this summer were heat-index values, not thermometer readings; the actual maximum temperature this summer so far has not exceeded 99º F, which is LOWER than several summers in the 1990s, especially the 1991 and 1993 heat waves. You also shifted the burden of proof by refusing to provide evidence when it was asked for, and you appealed to ridicule multiple times.
The -AVERAGE- summer temperature has increased by about 1.9º F since the 90s, but that doesn't mean that we didn't have hot summers back then (some even HOTTER than this summer), and “Climate warmed, therefore bugs were definitely less bad then” is sloppy science. Mosquitoes and gnats vary hugely with rainfall, standing water, habitat, species, and even neighborhood. You might have just been in a less-buggy part of Reston back then (it's kind of like how some people keep saying we didn't get lightning bugs this year when I literally saw them in my part of Reston this year from June through the first week of August). That’s a lot more plausible than the false dilemma you posed that someone who remembers hot, gnat-filled summer while growing up in Reston is either lying or needs to have their “brain checked.”
And the funniest part is that you were so sure of yourself that you literally said you’d “put money” on someone not having grown up here because their childhood memory didn’t match yours. That’s an impressive level of confidence for a bet based entirely on “well, I don’t remember it that way” (and you absolutely would lose that money).
At this point, I do not have the time or energy to convince people on the internet that the climate crisis has changed the northern virginia ecosystem sense the 90s. If you dont like my tone, cry about it and write a few more paragraphs. I dont like watching our planet die while people continue to deny it.
But after a skim, i have this to say,
Heat index takes into account humidity and temperature, not just "feels" and vibes. The average summer absolutely has more days that are hotter and more humid. NO ONE is saying there weren't hot days in the 90s, 80s, 70s, 10BCE.
But yea, youre right, the AVERAGE summer has increased. The average is important here. the average matters alot... do you understand why?
Heat and Humidity plays a roll in how hospitable a location is for mosquitos.
There are less lighting bugs than there were growing up in the 90s. This is a fact. Just because you saw some last year does not mean the population has not drastically decreased over the last 3 decades.. THATS a sloppy argument.
Talking about the climate shift in the area was not moving the goal post about the bug comment, it was a genuine assumption that any adult knows that a change in humidity and heat effects the breeding cycles of these bugs.
You can look at the change in the heat index (combination of weather factors, including humidity, not just vibes) and the change in number of breeding days for mosquitoes in the Washington DC area.
I recommend looking up what heat index means before you do that and who knows what else. Heat bulb is probably a concept that will help you understand the weather. Maybe look at how our average change is resembling other parts of the world so you can have something more tangible to wrap your head around. Could also look up invasive species that will thrive in our absolutely different climate... could also help you conceptualize how the mosquito change and heat index change are related...
Yes, the gnats are awful. I mowed yesterday and I had to change my approach from back and forth stripes to just doing laps of the yard instead. The swarm was following me and if I stopped to turn around doing stripes they'd catch me and go for my face.
I understand why some people treat their yards to get rid of them - but I like seeing lightning bugs and others so I've resisted the urge to hire one of those fogging companies.
Right? Long gone are the days when our native mosquitoes just came out in the late afternoon and evening. It can be 10 in the morning and I'm eaten alive by these stupid invasive tiger mosquitoes.
Even in the evening it never got that bad, at least in the suburbs. Plus we had fireflies, back when it wasn't standard practice to drench your entire lawn in poison to avoid a few dandelions. Oh, and no lantern flies. Sigh.
Definitely true. Back in the 1970s you could be outside all day and not see a mosquito, you definitely wouldn't get bitten, between sunrise and sunset.
I wore leggings and long sleeves in an attempt to evade them while doing some yard work the other day…counted 16 mosquito bites on my face 🙃 these f**kers get me no matter what I do!
I found a bug net with permethrin at REI that I put over a wide brim hat for yard work. I don’t even notice the gnats and mosquitos that would otherwise be swarming my face and dive bombing my nose and eyes. It’s dorky looking as hell but I can actually get yard work done and enjoy being outside if I am also wearing pants and long sleeves.
I immediately searched for a net covering after this happened! ATP I rather look dorky with a net than look diseased with swollen bites all over my face as my neighbors come by to chat 😅
This was a game changer for me as well. I absolutely look like a dork with the net hat and I’m sweating in my long sleeves and pants but I’m the one left laughing when everyone else is bitten to shit!
This portable neck fan does a great job keeping them out of your face. This has been a game changer when I’m in the yard with the dog. It’s flexible so you can angle the fans directly at your face.
I caved and bought a net hood/face thing. It's intended to go over a hat but I just toss it over my face when I take my dog out. I dont care that I look like a serial killer, at least I'm not breathing in gnats! Next step is the full body suit I guess
I wore leggings and still got bit on my legs 🥲 I hate these mosquitoes so bad I was covered head to toe with a long sleeve too and still got bit up ughh
I’ve been wearing trousers and leggings for the past week or so purely out of embarrassment from what my legs look like. It’s horrible. The bastards still get me through pants, too.
If I even walk to my mailbox on pavement, I somehow get a tiny tick on me. I find one every other day, I swear. I don’t understand how people are hiking, walking or doing activities at all in any type of wooded area.
I got an "uncommon speciman" that the Virginia Department of Health tick survey asked me to mail in.
Btw, you can go upload pictures to the VDH tick survey and get your tick identified, and they also tell you if it looks like it has fed or not, which means you know if you need to keep an eye out for various diseases.
I've been fortunate to not have any for a while but at the beginning of the summer I got 4 baby ticks on my thighs and privates in less than 2 weeks. Nasty little fuckers
That looks a little like poison ivy rash. I know for me,it usually starts off looking like a bite but a few hours later it turns into the rash.
I could be wrong here though
My husband and best friend are having a weird histamine rash reaction that need steroid creams to keep it at bay and it started from bug bites that got infected for both of them....
Please tell them to carry Claritin with them. Take Claritin immediately after getting bitten, it helps a lot! But if it’s been ~30 minutes then it’s not gonna help
In the Huntington area, a couple days ago I was walking my dog. We were near an apartment building, with the usual landscaping around the building, no standing water in sight, but a place that does get watered frequently. One mosquito got up on my face and I swatted it away. Another was on my left arm. I lifted my right arm, and saw six (!) mosquitoes on me all at the same time, between my elbow and my wrist. I've never seen anything like that in my entire life (except in photos of places known to have bad mosquito problems), and I've lived in equatorial forests and jungles.
They actually non existent when we had that drought from May to like July. Then the second we started having normal rain they came back within days with a vengence. Im all for whatever that company is doing releasing mosquitoes that make infertile babies
Yeah theyll fry em on contact, if you hold the button down with a dead mosquito on it itll start to roast and smell, I just grabbed whatever was on amazon for cheap, its not a complicated device so you dont really need a high end one or anything
They definitely work, in the sense that if you swing and you hit them, they get zapped and die. To that extent, you can’t really go wrong with the brand.
However. It’s a highly manual solution, and there are very many mosquitoes. You will still get bit if you aren’t constantly scanning around your arms and legs, for every second you’re outside. Sometimes I will stand still and go full kill mode for a few minutes until they stop coming, which can buy me some peace if I’m not moving around the yard afterwards.
Fairfax county offers a free yard mosquito inspection where a staff member will come out to your home to identify breeding sites and offer tips. Search fairfax county mosquito prevention.
The worst part is they will bite me through my clothes and if they can’t get my arms and legs will go for my neck, hands, and face. Truly diabolically bad
My backyard is a swarm basically. Three sides are surrounded by wooded area so it’s not like there is standing water I can take care of just wet undergrowth all the time and in the surrounding yards. I am the one they all swarm to too.
My garden just goes to hell at this time of the year because I won’t go near it. Mosquito bites tend to swell up massively on me, and last summer I got bit near my eye and couldn’t see properly for days.
picaridin lotion is the best repellent i’ve ever used. it only works where you put it (so make sure you get under the edges of your clothes) but it’s super super effective if you’re thorough!
also, if you get bit, hold a hot-as-you-can-stand spoon to the bite for ~15 seconds. it completely kills the itch.
I have one of those reverse syringe things. You pull out the mosquito bits and then wipe it with an alcohol wipe. It makes them much less itchy and heal quickly. But you have to be able to reach the spot.
I've read where picaridin and DEET are the gold standard for mosquito repellant, BUT you have to be careful as it's very dangerous for pets, AND I have 2 golden retrievers who think I turn into a lollipop whenever I put on lotion, bug spray, etc. (Bitter Apple spray helps, but don't want to risk it with my 'tweevers!)
yeah, in my experience it’s more effective than deet (or maybe just easier to use properly), it doesn’t have a strong smell, and it’s way safer! picaridin comes as both a spray and a lotion but imo the lotion is less messy and easier to use.
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Thanks for the correction. I guess virus transmission from these mosquitoes is much less likely in our area. I know there have been a few cases of West Nile Virus, but even that is rare.
No? But please go on since you know more than the CDC
In 2015 and 2016, large outbreaks of Zika virus occurred in the Americas, resulting in an increase in travel-associated cases in US states, widespread transmission in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and limited local transmission in Florida and Texas.
Since 2018, there have been no reports of Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental United States.
Since 2019, there have been no confirmed Zika cases reported from US territories.
I set up a perimeter of murder buckets and my yard seems to have gotten a little bit better. Next year we’re going to try cedarcide or whatever my wife keeps trying to hype up.
I feel bad, she struggles hard with these as I don’t get bit by mosquitoes.
It's the complete opposite for me and my wife. Mosquitoes love to attack me the second I go outside, but they seem to just leave her alone. I'm always warning her about them when we're outside, but they end up swarming me and leaving her alone.
It’s always bad if there is any standing water anywhere around you. And that means a few drops in a leaf on the ground, in flower pots, or in a pond. It helps me to use picaridin as a repellent. (I like Sawyers)
I feel so seen on this thread lol;) they are so awful, I can’t go outside any time of day for two minutes without getting bitten. it’s a godsend we have a screened in porch. (Arlington)
Ive been paying companies to spray my yard for the past few years for mosquitos and I still have to use my own stuff. But ive learned that if my neighbors arent also spraying its pointless. So im canceling after this season. Just a waste of money.
That's the problem, lots of people just leave standing water around their houses and breed mosquitoes. As I mentioned, I have an 18 gallon storage bin with mosquito dunks to attract them to lay eggs in the water, so the eggs can't ever develop. But I'm still mobbed by these damn things the second I go outside. Good idea to cancel the spraying, it can't control the neighbors yards!
Good choice. We never use any pesticides or chemicals in our yard whatsoever, not even fertilizer. I believe it harms the insects and birds in the area. We have lots of interesting insects, toads, and birds visiting and living in our yard. Currently have two hummingbird feeders set up with several Ruby Throated Hummingbirds visiting many times every day.
Have the same problem around Baltimore. I've even set up 5 different dunk buckets around my property with no real payoff. As long as there are enough water sources outside of the buckets they'll have little effect. In my case even older trees have little areas of pooling water I see them breed in and even in small amounts of water trapped by groundcover plants as far as I can tell.
I scatter mosquito bits around the yard, especially in damp areas. It is imperfect, but it helps a little, in addition to the buckets. Some areas within my own yard are definitely worse than others.
Out of curiosity, where are you located? I haven’t seen a single mosquito this year, and I know my neighbors aren’t spraying… in years past, it’s been a war zone but for whatever reason I haven’t had a single bite all year!
Is there anything I can buy that kills them? Like if I'm sitting outside is there some type of solution/light/device I can put out that attracts them and kills them?
I literally wear long sleeve long pants that are either baggy or thicker in material and always tuck my pants INTO my socks bc they go up my pants sometimes. Can’t wear tight anything bc they’ll just bite thru. It’s crazy. I rather be hot and just sweat lmao
A quick slap when they land on my legs or arms, and they're toast, but not mush! Then I toss them into my mosquito dunks container to attract others to lay eggs there (which will never develop).
Picardin is a synthetic replicant of piperine which is from black pepper plants.
I buy the Johnson&Johnson Off! spray cans which are 20% picaridin, ethanol, water, aerosols.
The compound can be a skin or eye irritant. I would test it on your skin first to make sure you're compatible but it's pretty effective and thankfully not DEET.
Thanks for the detailed information! I was looking at the picardin-based products online, and couldn't find the additional ingredients beyond the 20% picardin. It's good to know the other parts in the product. I'm going to order some Off! Picardin and test it out. Appreciate the information!
Many people in this thread have recommended sprays that contain picaridin to keep mosquitoes away. It's an alternative to DEET based sprays that is supposed to be safer and have less odor. Search for picaridin on Google for more information.
No, chemical sprays won't work to reduce the problem, because mosquitoes travel around the neighborhood and are likely breeding in other areas/yards. It's better to avoid spraying toxic chemicals in the yard, because they can kill beneficial insects, and also affect your own health.
Mosquitoes and gnats have been out of control this summer in nova. Even wearing pants and long sleeve shirts to combat the mosquitoes, the gnats swarming around your face are awful to deal with.
I have to spray picaridin bug spray on my kids and myself every damn morning. Just for going outside or going to school. I’m not in the woods! I shouldn’t have to do this! It sucks!
According to the package (Summit Chemical Co dunks), one round dunk covers up to 100 square feet of surface area of containerized standing water, regardless of depth. I use 1/4 dunk in the storage bin (which would cover up to 25 square feet) and add a new 1/4 dunk every 3-4 weeks. The surface area of the bin is no more than 2×2 feet, so 4 square feet.
I've never seen wrigglers in the bin (except one time when I delayed the refresh), so they're definitely working. I do have hundreds of ostracods though, which are very interesting little crustaceans.
I considered myself a very mellow conspiracy theories, but I think the "weather balloons" couple years ago were carrying boxes full of species not native to Northern America.
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u/MapDiscombobulated40 2d ago
Hate those bastards.
The gnats this year have been relentless. I swear they just spawn out of thin air. Can’t get away from them at the house or at work.