Heaviest rain in Delhi in February 2013 has created ideal breeding conditions for the greatest pest of all times: the mosquito. However, another weather factor inhibits the activity of mosquitoes: the heat. During warm weather, mosquitoes take only three to seven days to complete the life cycle (from egg to adult). So in as little as a week, you could be breeding mosquitoes in stagnant water and warm weather around you.
Seemingly everywhere, the painful mosquitoes are now back in Delhi as the weather in Delhi is shifting to the warmer months. Weathermen at Skymet Weather say, “The tick season has got an early start this year as the freezing winter days have bid adieu, rain has occurred in plenty and temperatures are apt for mosquito breeding. Afternoons are warm and sunny in Delhi, the maximum temperature is between 24⁰C to 26⁰C, whereas the nights are not too cold either, between 10⁰C to 12⁰C.”
So if you're trying to take a peaceful, extended nap on the terrace, get ready for a several ticks, disturbed sleep and puffy eyes the next morning. Chanchal Rastogi, resident of east Delhi says, “It is not at all cold now and mosquitoes are here too. My kids cannot sleep at night without the mosquito repellent in their rooms”
Experts say, mild winter and early spring heat often stirs mosquitoes and other insects like mites and flies. That’s because insects are exothermic, drawing their energy from external heat. Meanwhile, experts also believe that a gradual warming of India’s climate over the decades has also further boosted the breeding of insects for a longer duration in a year.
With the weather getting warmer day by day, more mosquitoes could feast on a scrumptious "blood meal" and raise the dengue fever toll in Delhi and NCR once again. We suggest you take necessary precautions.
