February on Delmarva does not feel like mosquito season, and that is exactly the point. The eggs that become April's first biters are being laid into standing water on warm afternoons, and the corners of your yard that hold water through a mild winter are where the season usually starts. Twenty calm minutes this month is worth a lot of scratching in May.
What it looks and feels like
- A small raised pink bump, often with a tiny center dot, that itches within minutes.
- Bites tend to cluster on ankles, the back of the neck, and the inside of the elbows.
- Most fade in 2 to 3 days; scratched bites can scab and stay pink for weeks.
What to do right now
- Walk the yard and tip out anything holding water: buckets, plant saucers, kids' toys, wheelbarrows, tarps with sags.
- Clear leaves from gutters and downspout splash blocks - they are the most common Delmarva backyard breeding spot.
- Check the corners of pool covers and boat covers for pooled water and pump them out.
- If you keep rain barrels, add a tight screen now so adults cannot lay eggs once temperatures climb.
- Restock your repellent shelf so you are not buying in a panic on the first warm Saturday.
Local note
On the lower Shore and around the marsh edges of Dorchester and Somerset counties, salt-marsh mosquitoes can show up with the first run of 60-degree days. Inland yards usually get a couple more weeks of grace - use them.
A calm February pass is the cheapest mosquito control you will do all year. See you in March.
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