Many people believe that they are safe from bloodsucking pests during the colder months in New Jersey as they are not typically creeping around waiting to bite their next victim.
Mosquitos are not typically seen during the winter or early springtime as they cannot withstand the freezing temperatures in New Jersey. A few warm days however can bring the blood thirsty creatures to life. The next blast of cold air will kill off any mosquitos that did happen to hatch so they will not pose a threat to mankind. Mosquitos are known to transmit different types of encephalitis, Dengue Fever, Malaria, Yellow Fever, and most commonly…West Nile Virus.
Ticks however have a lifespan of about two years. The tiny bloodsucking pests commonly overwinter under leaf litter or other protective areas outdoors. All life stages of ticks lie in wait for their next victim to pass by for which they will quickly hop on board and attach themselves. Once they have become fully engorged with blood, the ticks will drop off and find a suitable hiding place to digest their blood meal. Ticks will follow the same behavior over and over until they reach adulthood. Once they mate and reproduce, the ticks will die off and a new generation of ticks will follow in their ancestor’s path. The problem with ticks lies in the diseases that they transmit to their victims. Deer ticks are known to transmit Lyme disease to humans, pets and other animals that they bite. In 2011, there were 24,364 confirmed cases of Lyme disease in the United States.
Please check back on Wednesday for the conclusion.