Weather conditions have produced late-season buzz in Sacramento area
To prevent mosquitoes from breeding, dump any standing rainwater that has collected in pot saucers or buckets. Kathy Morrison
It’s not your imagination; all those bites prove it. Mosquitoes are buzzing around in mid-November, and they’re hungry.
This fall, the greater Sacramento area had just-right conditions for late-season mosquitoes: Lots of rain and warmer than normal weather.
Some species of invasive mosquitoes (the ankle biters) need only a bottle-cap full of water to hatch their eggs. And we’ve had plenty of moisture this month.
Early November tends to be dry; the first 13 days average .56 inches of rain total. But thanks to Thursday’s storm, downtown Sacramento has totaled 1.91 inches so far this month – including 1.44 inches on Nov. 13.
The November rain isn’t over, says the National Weather Service. “Definite rain showers and thunderstorms” are in Sacramento’s forecast for Sunday and Monday with another ½ to 1 inch of rain expected. Possible rain is also in the forecast for late Wednesday and Thursday.
Coupled with an earlier storm Nov. 5, that’s a lot of extra water that can accumulate around your home and garden. Opportunistic mosquitoes have made the most of those little pools and ponds.
In addition, we’ve been enjoying record warm weather; Sacramento hit 79 degrees on Nov. 2. So far, we’ve averaged afternoon highs of 71.8, three degrees above normal. Nights have been even warmer, averaging 50.5 degrees – six degrees above normal.
That not only has prolonged the life of some tomato and pepper plants, it’s been a boon for buzzers. Mosquitoes can thrive in those temperatures.
According to mosquito experts, Sacramento is seeing onslaughts from three different types of mosquitoes – those newly hatched invasive mosquitoes; larger mosquitoes retreating indoors and looking for a place to hibernate (as well as a pre-sleep meal); plus agricultural mosquitoes that head into suburban areas after harvest.
The good news: Most of these little monsters won’t be biting for much longer. Overnight temperatures are expected to dip down into the low 40s by the end of next week. Cold usually puts an end to their activity.
In the meantime, fight the bite:
* Dump any standing water in your garden. Look under pots in saucers or in wheelbarrows or garden tools. Invasive mosquitoes need very little moisture to hatch their eggs.
* Wear mosquito repellent while outdoors.
* Wear long sleeves and long pants when outside, especially in the morning or at dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
For more mosquito-fighting tips: https://www.fightthebite.net/
Comments
0 comments have been posted.Sacramento Digs Gardening to your inbox.
Flowers in My Back Yard Series
Aug. 25: Crape myrtles, Sacramento's unofficial tree of summer
Aug. 18: Pollinators adore scabiosa, aka pincushion flower
Aug. 11: Hardy hibiscus adds big tropical impact
Aug. 4: Dianthus a deceptively hardy flower
July 28: Naked Ladies put on summer show
July 21: Thank Luther Burbank for these long-lasting beauties (Shasta daisies)
July 14: How to keep hydrangeas happy
July 7: Grow these bright cosmos for bees and butterflies
June 30: Agapanthus adds blue fireworks to the garden
June 23: Easy-care gazanias fill those hot corners
June 16: Daylilies are perfect for water-wise gardens (and a lot more)
June 9: Grow coneflowers for pollinators -- and yourself
June 2: Sunflowers capture Sacramento's summer attitude
May 29: Are your roses going 'blind'?
May 26: Zinnias are the summer flowers every garden needs
May 19: Plant dahlias now for late-summer flower power
May 12: Know your coreopsis from your bidens
May 5: Mums the word on Mother's Day weekend
April 28: Majestic Matilija poppy is worth a look
April 21: Celebrate roses, America's favorite flower
April 14: Small flowers with outsized impact
April 7: Calendulas do double duty
April 3: Make Easter lilies last for years to come
March 31: In praise of a pollinator magnet (small-leaf salvias)
March 24: Azaleas brighten shady spots
March 17: The perfect flower for beginners? Try zonal geraniums
March 10: Keep camellias happy for years to come
March 3: Fruit tree blossoms are a fleeting joy
Feb. 27: Are your roses looking rusty?
Feb. 24: Treasure spring daffodils now and for years to come
Feb. 17: How and why to grow wildflowers
Feb. 10: Let's talk Valentine's Day roses
Feb. 3: Why grow flowers?
Local News
Sites We Like
Garden checklist for week of Aug. 16
During this break in the heat, feed your garden. Make sure to water before and after applying fertilizer.
* In the garden, direct seed beets, carrots, leaf lettuce and turnips.
* Plant potatoes.
* Harvest tomatoes, beans, squash, pepper and eggplants to prompt plants to keep producing. Give your plants a deep watering twice a week, more if planted in containers. Also, give them a boost with phosphate-rich fertilizer to help fruiting.
* Watch out for caterpillars and hornworms in the vegetable garden. They can strip a plant bare in one day. Pick them off plants by hand in early morning or late afternoon.
* Feed citrus trees their last round of fertilizer for the year. This will give a boost to the fruit that’s still small.
* Mulch can be your garden’s best friend – it conserves moisture while blocking out weeds. But don't let mulch mound around stalks, stems or trunks. That can promote rot.
* Camellia leaves looking a little yellow? Give them some chelated iron. That goes for azaleas and gardenias, too.
* Pick up after your fruit trees. Clean up debris and dropped fruit; this cuts down on insects and prevents the spread of brown rot. Then feed fruit trees with slow-release fertilizer for better production for next year.
* To prolong bloom into fall, feed begonias, fuchsias and container plants. Always water before fertilizing.
* Fertilize fall-blooming perennials, too. Chrysanthemums can be fed until the buds start to open.
* Prepare for a fall full of flowers by paying a little extra attention to your garden. Cut off spent blooms from roses, annuals and perennials, then give them a boost of fertilizer. Make sure to water plants before feeding. Roses will rebloom about six to eight weeks after deadheading.
* Indoors, start seedlings for fall vegetable planting, including bunching onion, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radicchio and lettuce.
* Sow seeds of perennials in pots for fall planting including yarrow, coneflower and salvia.
Contact Us
Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com
Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY) Series
Lessons learned during a year of edible gardening
WINTER
Is edible gardening possible indoors?
Hints for choosing tomato seeds
Why winter is the perfect time to plant fruit trees
When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants
How to squeeze more food into less space
Plant a fruit tree now -- for later
Win the weed war by tackling them in winter
Tips for planting bare-root trees, shrubs and vegetables
Time to give vegetable seedlings some more space
Ways to win the fight against weeds
FALL
Add asparagus to your edible garden
Soggy soil and what to do about it
Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
We don't talk (enough) about beets
Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Enhance your food with edible flowers
Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
How to grow summer salad greens
Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
Help pollinators help your garden
Battling early-season tomato pests
Where are the bees when you need them?
How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
Grow culinary herbs in containers
When to plant summer vegetables
Don't be fooled by these garden myths
Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
Powered by California Local
