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/
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Flowers in My Back Yard Series
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?
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Garden checklist for week of May 17
With an eye on warmer weather to come, continue to work on the summer vegetable garden:
* Remember to irrigate your tender transplants. The wind can quickly dry out young plants. Seedlings need consistent moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants. Water early in the morning for best results.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. Time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)
* Plant dahlia tubers.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, calibrachoa, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Put your veggie garden on a regular diet. Set up a monthly feeding program, and keep track on your calendar. Make sure to water your garden before applying any fertilizer to prevent “burning” your plants.
* As spring-flowering shrubs finish blooming, give them a little pruning to shape them, removing old and dead wood. Lightly trim azaleas, fuchsias and marguerites for bushier plants.
* Don’t forget to weed! Those invaders are growing fast.
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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
Dec. 16: Add asparagus to your edible garden
Dec. 9: Soggy soil and what to do about it
Dec. 2: Plant artichokes now; enjoy for years to come
Nov. 25: It's late November, and your peach tree needs spraying
Nov. 18: What to do with all those fallen leaves?
Nov. 11: Prepare now for colder weather in the edible garden
Nov. 4: Plant a pea patch for you and your garden
Oct. 27: As citrus season begins, advice for backyard growers
Oct. 20: Change is in the autumn air
Oct. 13: We don't talk (enough) about beets
Oct. 6: Fava beans do double duty
Sept. 30: Seeds or transplants for cool-season veggies?
Sept. 23: How to prolong the fall tomato harvest
SUMMER
Sept. 16: Time to shut it down?
Sept. 9: How to get the most out of your pumpkin patch
Sept. 2: Summer-to-fall transition time for evaluation, planning
Aug. 26: To pick or not to pick those tomatoes?
Aug. 19: Put worms to work for you
Aug. 12: Grow food while saving water
Aug. 5: Enhance your food with edible flowers
July 29: Why won't my tomatoes turn red?
July 22: A squash plant has mosaic virus, and it's not pretty
July 15: Does this plant need water?
July 8: Tear out that sad plant or baby it? Midsummer decisions
July 1: How to grow summer salad greens
June 24: Weird stuff that's perfectly normal
SPRING
June 17: Help pollinators help your garden
June 10: Battling early-season tomato pests
June 3: Make your own compost
May 27: Where are the bees when you need them?
May 20: How to help tomatoes thrive on hot days
May 13: Your plants can tell you more than any calendar can
May 6: Maintain soil moisture with mulch for garden success
April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
April 22: Should you stock up on fertilizer? (Yes!)
April 15: Grow culinary herbs in containers
April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
April 1: Don't be fooled by these garden myths
March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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