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In winter, with the drop in temperatures, it seems that there should be no mosquitoes, but that is not the case. As it is not as cold as other years around this time, they are still present, like this specimen that I have photographed in the Pedralbes monastery in Barcelona for La Vanguardia’s Readers’ Photos.
If one enters your room, a good concert awaits you with its typical early morning hum and even more so if it gives you a snack. I have been able to photograph this specimen at rest in a hallway.
We must not forget that the 2023 that we have just said goodbye to has been the second warmest year in Spain since at least 1916 and one of the seven least rainy since 1961. And it has given way to higher than normal temperatures at least until spring, as indicated by the 2023 annual climatological summary of the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).
In this context, it must be taken into account that there are species of mosquitoes that adapt to winter if these favorable conditions exist and if they find refuge in protected places, such as our home.
One of those that can be seen in winter is the culex pipiens, which is precisely the one portrayed in these photographs. It is the common mosquito, which can survive at lower temperatures.
In general, it is true that mosquitoes are more active in warm and humid climates, which is why they attack us more with their bites in spring or summer. In winter, they almost disappear, but haven’t you noticed that last December and at the beginning of the year there are more than usual?
Just in case, one of the best tips we can follow to prevent their proliferation is to avoid stagnant water, since they need it to reproduce.
In 2023 there have not been any cold months, but rather considered normal, warm and very warm. Winter 2022-2023 was already warm (the tenth with the highest temperatures since 1961), while the spring was extremely warm (the hottest in the historical series), the summer was very warm (the third since 1961) and the autumn It was extremely warm (the second one). So should we be surprised that the mosquito is taking advantage of climate change?
