Tall weeds and mosquitoes

  • #1
Stephen Tashi
Science Advisor
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TL;DR Summary
Do tall weeds favor mosquitoes by (literally) giving them a place to hide?
Commonly heard advice against mosquitoes is to cut down tall weeds so the mosquitoes won't have a place to "hide". When I think of predators like dragonflies, bats, and birds hunting mosquitoes, I think of them hunting flying mosquitoes. Do tall weeds actually favor mosquitoes by giving mosquitoes concealment when they are not flying? Or is the idea that tall weeds "hide" mosquitoes from predators only a figure of speech?
 

Answers and Replies

  • #2
Astronuc
Staff Emeritus
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Perhaps it depends on the weeds, or rather the type of grass. It usually has to do with what kind of ground is covered by the weeds/grass.

Consider - Mowing Grass in Water-Detention Basins Increases Mosquito Populations
https://entomologytoday.org/2015/07...ention-basins-increases-mosquito-populations/

But,
Mosquitoes prefer to rest in protected sites during the day. Yards with lots of trees, shrubs, and dense vegetation or properties adjoining such areas, can have nightmarish problems. Consequently, removal of tall weeds and overgrowth is part of an integrated mosquito management program.
https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef005

Mostly, it's about preventing standing water outside.
https://entomology.ces.ncsu.edu/mosquito-control-around-homes-and-in-communities/
 
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