Top MSM scientist Bill McKibben has pointed this out repeatedly, which explains why most of the world’s mosquitoes are located in Siberia and the Arctic
Once upon a time in Cherskii, Siberia, a group of ambitious ecology students attempted to better understand the remote and beautiful landscape they had the privilege to visit. Little did they know, there was a predator here long before they arrived. A predator more formidable than a grizzly and more bloodthirsty than a vampire.
The mosquitoes here are out of this world. In the mere seconds after we got of the airplane, they were upon us in hordes. These buzzers are huge. Small aircraft in fact. It is rare that you can leave the sanctuary of indoors without the proper protection. Luckily, they are the dumbest insects under the ever-present arctic sun. If someone couldn’t see what we were incessantly slapping, they would take us for a group of motor-impaired delusional spazzes. Our Russian hosts, unbelievably, have made some sort of pact with these winged demons. While we stand around convulsing (in full bug net body armor, mind you), they continue their business without notice, unscathed.
Well, yes, that’s why Texas and New Mexico are noted for their large & violent mosquito populations whereas a colder, harsher state like Minnesota is virtually mosquito-free.
Houston would be infested with mosquitoes except for the fact that they spray everywhere. Mosquitoes in Colorado are the worst up in the mountains, where it is cold.
Never been down to that part, myself. Northern Louisiana is pretty infested, though, I’ll give it that. It’s almost like there’s some mysterious factor other than temperature that allows mosquitoes to proliferate. But if Weepy Bill McKibbin (in honour of the Daily Bayonet, I’m linking to a picture of a hot babe: http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lcdsgo73tk1qemhu4o1_400.jpg ) says that it’s heat and heat alone I can’t bring myself to disagree. After all, there’s not a huge body of peer-reviewed science that says otherwise, right?
Like standing water for example?
Ever been to Alaska? Mosquitoes are huge and rather populous there.
Indeed. It’s almost like ol’ Weepy Bill McKibben hasn’t a clue what causes mosquito populations to flourish.
I was in the US Army in Alaska and I’d rather deal with -20 F then wading through muskeg and being sucked dry by those little devils. What’s truly surreal is early spring when the slightest bit of open water can mean you will be swatting mosquitoes regardless of the amount of snow still upon the ground.
Speaking of heat and insects; I haven’t seen one single wasp this year. (Northern Europe)
From upstate NY, I mentioned this to the better half, the wasps, yellow jackets and bumble bees are pretty scarce this year? Haven’t had to buy any bee spray, what gives? Global cooling?
Haven’t seen honey bees or wasps here the last three summers. Wasps were once a scourge here (here being the Seattle area).
Talking of bees, there has been reports of an invasion of jelly fish around Britain due to ” warmer waters”. We were up in Scotland a couple of weeks ago and there were loads of dead jelly fish on the beach. The Mrs said (jokingly) “must be global warming”. I pointed out they were all dead because the sea was so cold.
Wasps, bees, yellow jackets, and all sorts of flying insects are well populated at my place. Sweet Basil and Citronella plants keep the skeeters at bay.
I’m on fairly good terms with the local Hymenoptera (excluding ants and termites), & I’ve seen plenty ’round here: Tons of bumble bees, a few good sized hornet nests, bunches of those ground dwelling types we call yellow-jackets, and even a decent number of honey bees. The paper wasps and mud daubers seem down lately, but that might be because of me teaching people about the magical wasp-removing qualities of gasoline in a squirt gun.
I live in Florida now. Spraying has knocked back the mosquito swarms here to a nuisance level.
The worst mosquito situation I ever experienced was in Northern Alberta, Canada, where I lived for quite a few years. We used DEET by the litre. In the late winter, the mosquitoes were out and about as soon as standing water began to appear, right next to the snowdrifts. The mosquito is a remarkably tough critter.
Anyone who doesn’t believe that mosquitos thrive in cold weather should be forced to go fishing without mosquito nettings in Northern (Michigan, Wisonsin, and Minnesota — where the mosquito is the unofficial state bird). Sending them to Canada without proper protection would be too cruel.
Mosquitoes in cold? Can’t be. Al Gore says mosquitoes are part of warm in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbuQOi-crmQ&feature=related
worked at Eureka Nunavut in the late 70’s and during the summer…they were hordes of them….but that was before they became unprecedented…
Having travelled across the northern Canada, the Territories and Yukon, by canoe many times, without doubt the worst i ever saw them was near the Ursus Islands on theThelon River. Mosquitoes and blackflies covered–i mean covered– us from to toe. the quite large arctic species of mosquito are not deterred by cold (to about 40F) and can fly in fairly strong winds. the rule is to always face into the wind to avoid inhaling mouthfuls of them, tho’ our motto remains “If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em.”
Luckily, with global temperatures rising we should have more mosquitos more of the year since there will be fewer days below freezing and more humid conditions generally…accept during the droughts when we’ll have few mosquitos, but plenty of flies from the dead cattle (over 1000 cattle died in the recent heat wave)
Right – here is one walking on the snow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ra0wjMJlUI
That must be a faked video because Al Gore said mosquitoes are part of a warm world.
.
;^)
I have lived in various places across America. I have traveled to all corners of our country, including Hawaii (lived there for a time). I have been in many placing throughout Canada as well. I have been nowhere where mosquitoes are as bad as Fargo, North Dakota and the Detroit Lakes, Minnesota area. Nowhere even comes close.
Mosquito population has little or nothing to do with climate, and much more to do with geography. You find dense mosquito populations across Eastern North Dakota because of the thousands of square miles of standing water that appear there every spring. Likewise, the Detroit Lakes area (land of 10,000 lakes) has a tremendous amount of standing fresh water. Northern Siberia is much the same, where the worst malaria outbreak in human history occurred.
Our Mark Visitor sounds as well informed as Mark Lynas! Not Very!