Many exotic pests have invaded the U.S. in recent years, aided by ever increasing
trade and transport with countries around the world. One of the most serious
arrivals has been the Asian tiger mosquito, scientific name Aedes albopictus.
A native of Asia, this mosquito was first found in the continental U.S. in
1985 as a pest in Houston, Texas. Within just three years, infestations were
discovered in most south
ern states east ofthe Mississippi, and as far north as Illinois and Delaware.
The Asian tiger mosquito is still expanding its range, and now can be found
as far north as
Minnesota.
The Asian tiger mosquito is a beautiful mosquito: fragile black body with white bands and a distinctive white "racing stripe" down its back. Like all mosquitoes, only the female bites, but this mosquito is a real tiger! In contrast to most of our mosquitos, she bites in the daytime. She will flit in and out around your knees and ankles persistently looking for a good feeding site. She may even follow you inside. You often don't hear her buzzing in your ear, like other mosquitoes, so she is called a "silent" biter. You may come inside after a late afternoon on your patio to find you have a half-dozen closely spaced bites, when you swear you never even felt a mosquito!
Because of her biology and nasty biting habits, the Asian tiger mosquito is
destined to become a major pest. You could be breeding them in your own backyard!
She lays her eggs in standing water in old tires, cans and buckets, wheel barrows,
tree holes-nearly anything containing water. The eggs hatch into larvae (wigglers),
turn into pupae
(tumblers), and emerge as hungry blood-feeding adults in as little as two weeks.
Fogging and sprays can give only temporary control, a few days at best. The only long-term solution is to track down all the potential breeding sites around your home, remove the water, and prevent new water from accumulating (see the checklist on the back). Some containers cannot be emptied, and these can be treated with a special larvicide to kill the larvae and prevent them from emerging as adults.
1. eggs (2-7 days)
2. larva or "wiggler" (5-14 days)
3. pupa or "tumbler" (2-3 days)
4. adult (up to 3 months or more)