Mossies

[cakadu]

What is the mosquito situation in your area? Just after the hail storm, we noticed a very sharp decline in the mossies, actually, we hadn't noticed any in a couple of weeks or more.

This morning I was out doing a pasture walk to see if there was any growth after the pounding the pastures took and was quite ferociously attacked. Maybe the last hurrah before the colder nighttime temperatures takes it's toll?

Incidentally, we've noticed that the pastures are very green once again. I supposed 2.5 inches of rain in about 24 hours will help in that regard. A neighbor told us that there is a great deal of nitrogen to be found in hail. Does anyone know anything more about this?

If it is true, at least there was SOME benefit.

[coppertop]

We haven't had nearly as much moisture as you have, so the mosquitoes aren't nearly as bad as they were awhile ago.
The cattle seem more content in the evenings now, and the donkeys aren't bothered as much. I was wiping them down with cider vinegar every afternoon for awhile to keep the mosquitoes away.

The wasps are getting bad here, likely getting ready for fall and winter. I keep my bee spray handy just in case I find a nest of them.

[grassfarmer]

The mozzies are really bad with us - but we have had 6 inches of rain in the last month and it seems to have hatched a whole new squad of them. Moving fences isn't much fun just now - walk from one post to the next, sweep them off both arms and your face before going to the next post.
My Dad was here recently and I was telling him that there seemed to be a fresh hatch of small mozzies and he was surprised at that as he was taught in zoology that all true insects are born at their adult size - is that true??

[Ron]

I think insects grow through instars (growth stages), size and physical form changes as they grow. Long time since entomology class too.